Can social phobia be inherited?

Question

My father and brother have social phobia. Can I inherit this?

Answer 1

Yes, social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder) can be inherited. Social phobia runs in families- so if your parents and siblings have it, you stand a good chance of also developing it. Certainly, it is not all about genes that lead to the development of social phobia. Indeed, there are environmental influences that are needed along with the genetic risk for the development of social phobia, such as adverse life events, parental psychopathology, and low income, just to name a few.