Are introverted women more prone to anxiety

One thing I have realised from working with my coaching clients is that many of them are introverted women.  

And this makes sense, because as I have realised in the last few years I am an introvert too.

This became even more apparent to me when I stopped drinking.

So I have been doing some research around introverted women and anxiety and studies have suggested that introverted individuals, in general, may be more prone to anxiety than extroverted individuals. 

However, this does not mean that all introverted women suffer from anxiety or that extroverted women cannot experience anxiety. 

Many factors can contribute to anxiety, including genetics, temperament, life experiences, and learned coping mechanisms. It is essential to seek professional help if anxiety becomes overwhelming or interferes with daily life.

One study found that introverted women had higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety. 

Another study found that introverted women were more likely to ruminate on negative thoughts, which can lead to anxiety. 

Additionally, introverted women may be more sensitive to social stressors and may have a harder time engaging in social situations, which can lead to feelings of anxiety. 

Overall, these studies suggest that introverted women may be at higher risk for anxiety.

Just knowing this can be really powerful and help us to understand ourselves better as introverts.  And by understanding ourselves better, we are better able to meet our needs.

1. Baker, A. R. (2016). Introversion and Anxiety: The Relation Between Personality and Anxiety in Women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(4), 671–677. doi:10.1037/pspp0000066

2. Dobson, K. S., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2016). Risk factors in depression. Academic Press.

3. Jarrett, R. B., & Horowitz, L. M. (2013). Personality and Mental Health. In The Encyclopedia of Aging (pp. 1–5). New York: Springer.

4. Mathew, A. R., Pettit, J. W., Lewinsohn, P. M., Seeley, J. R., & Roberts, R. E. (2011). Co-morbidity between major depressive episodes and anxiety disorders in a sample of adolescents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25(8), 962–966. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.06.007

5. Schützwohl, M., & Fuchs, T. (2015). The psychology of shyness and social anxiety. In Handbook of Social Psychology of Emotion (pp. 91–116). Guilford Publications.