The relationship between insecure attachment and social anxiety in adult people: A three-level Meta-analysis

Social anxiety is a prevalent anxious condition that is primarily characterized by experiencing intense emotional distress in response to social situations and interactions. Insecure attachment was found to be correlated with social anxiety. However, prior research on this association has yielded inconsistent results. The present study used a three-level random-effects meta-analytic model to investigate the relationship between insecure attachment and social anxiety. Our findings showed a significant and positive correlation between insecure attachment and social anxiety ( r = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.34; p < .001) by analyzing 117 effect sizes from 42 pieces of research. Moreover, the moderator analysis revealed that the subcategory of insecure attachment (i.e., anxious, avoidant) ( F (1, 112) = 13.80; p < .001) and the measurement of insecure attachment (e.g., Experiences in Close Relationships) ( F (8, 108) = 2.01; p = .05) served as significant moderating factors. In summary, this study supports the positive relationship between insecure attachment and social anxiety, providing valuable insights for interventions aimed at reducing the risk of developing high-level social anxiety.