P-428 - Social anxiety and perfectionism among israeli jews and arabs: A comparative study: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Subjects with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are characterized by low self-esteem, pessimism, procrastination and also perfectionism. Objectives:To examine the link between social anxiety and perfectionism and to evaluate cultural differences on these measures. Aims: To improve our understanding on cultural factors, anxiety disorders and personality features. Methods: Questionnaires on social anxiety, perfectionism and automatic thoughts were administered in a group of 132 students, 58 Israeli-Jewish and 74 Israeli-Arab with an average age of 26. Results: The rate of SAD in these students according to a score of 60 or more on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) was 16%, a rather high rate in the Western world. The correlation between the total LSAS score and the score of perfectionism was significant (r = 0.31). Also, we will compare data on SAD and perfectionism between our two sub-samples, Jewish and Arab students. Significant differences between the Israeli-Jewish students and Israeli-Arab students appeared on two of the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scales: parental expectations and parental criticism with higher scores in the Arab students. Conclusions: The linkage between SAD and perfectionism will be discussed and implications for treatment will be suggested.