Jonathan Berent has been a psychotherapist since 1978 and wrote two self-help books. He wrote an article at KevinMd on November 2, 2024 titled When high achievers and isolated adults share a common enemy: social anxiety containing the following claims:
“The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that 15 million adults have social anxiety. This number swells when you consider stats, such as the Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2019), which found that 10.7 percent of Americans have a public speaking phobia, and 21.2 percent to 23.3 percent fear public speaking. Similarly, a 2001 Gallup poll found that 40 percent of adults in the United States fear public speaking.”
The US Census in 2020 found there were 258.3 million adults, so the 15 million estimated by the Anxiety & Depression Association of America is just 5.8%. That’s lower than what the National Institute of Mental Health web page on Social Anxiety Disorder says: 7.1% in the last year or 12.7% in a lifetime.
The Chapman Survey of American Fears reported percent fears at four levels: Very Afraid, Afraid, Slightly Afraid, and Not Afraid. Two bar charts with all their data for public speaking from 2014 to 2024 are shown above. In 2019 12.8% were Very Afraid, and 10.7% never appeared anywhere. And in 2019 31.2% were Very Afraid or Afraid, not 21.2%. In 2017 23.3% were Very Afraid or Afraid.
The Chapman Survey of American Fears did not measure phobia, which is different from Very Afraid. Writing in 2024 why did Jonathan refer to percentages from back in 2019?
And the article by Geoffrey Brewer at Gallup on March 19, 2001 is titled Snakes Top List of Americans’ Fears - 51% feared snakes versus 40% for public speaking. But he also reported that in 1998 56% feared snakes while only 45% feared public speaking.
The cartoon was adapted from one at Wikimedia Commons.
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