The comparison of attentional control deficits in the three group of normal, with social anxiety disorder and with comorbidity (social anxiety disorder and depression) students of Lorestan University

Background and aims: One of the mechanisms that thought to underlie social anxiety disorder is dysfunction in attentional control. The current study was designed to compare attentional control deficits in the three group: normal, with social anxiety disorder and with comorbidity (social anxiety disorder and depression) students. Methods: The design of present study was causal-comparative. Statistical population of this study contained all normal female students, with social anxiety disorder, and with comorbidity of social anxiety disorder and depression in Lorestan University in academic years 2015-2016. With a single-stage cluster sampling method, 534 students completed the social anxiety and depression questionnaires. Then, according to the cutoff point of questionnaires, students were qualified enter the stage of clinical interview. Finally, 90 students, 30 students were selected in each group, and then performed color-word Stroop test. The results were analyzed with SPSS software, MANOVA and Tukey post hoc test. Results: Results showed that between social anxiety disorder and normal groups was not significant difference in the attentional control (P<0.07), but group with comorbidity of social anxiety disorder and depression significantly have a poorer performance in the attentional control task rather than Social anxiety disorder and normal groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: People with Social anxiety disorder only when showed attentional control deficiencies, they suffering from current comorbid depression. These finding revealed in addition to helping in identifying the underlying mechanisms involved in this disorder, importance therapy attention to attentional control deficiencies when person suffering from comorbidity of social anxiety and depression