SPIN Test — Social Phobia Inventory (17-Item Social Anxiety Screening)
The Social Phobia Inventory — the standard self-report scale for social anxiety disorder. 17 items, 4 minutes, instant clinical bands. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Krishna K R, MBBS MD fellowship in Psyco Sexual Medicine. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.
Important safety information
The SPIN includes a question about thoughts of self-harm (question 9). If you have had any such thoughts recently, please reach out for support before or instead of taking this assessment — you do not need to take a test to deserve help.
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The 17 SPIN items
The scale asks how much each item bothered you over the past week on a 5-point scale:
0 = Not at all · 1 = A little bit · 2 = Somewhat · 3 = Very much · 4 = Extremely
The SPIN is copyrighted, so we describe its content rather than reproduce the items. They cover three clinical areas:
Fear (6 items): fear of situations such as authority figures, parties, criticism and embarrassment in front of others.
Avoidance (7 items): avoiding situations such as talking to strangers, public speaking, being the centre of attention and social events.
Physiological symptoms (4 items): bodily reactions such as blushing, sweating, trembling or a racing heart in social situations.
Total ranges 0-68.
SPIN severity band table
A score of 19 or more is the screening threshold from the original validation. The bands below are commonly used descriptive severity ranges.
| Score | Severity | What it means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-20 | None / minimal (19-20 borderline) | Mostly typical; 19-20 sits at the screening threshold | Self-monitor; retake in 4 weeks if 19-20 |
| 21-30 | Mild social anxiety | Symptoms present, some social avoidance | Behavioural activation + CBT skills; retake in 4 weeks |
| 31-40 | Moderate | Symptoms causing clear impairment | Clinical evaluation; CBT with exposure indicated |
| 41-50 | Severe | Significant impairment in work / social / education | Clinical evaluation this week; combined CBT + medication often indicated |
| 51-68 | Very severe | Major impairment, often housebound | Urgent clinical evaluation; intensive treatment |
How the SPIN was developed
The SPIN was developed by Kathryn Connor, Jonathan Davidson and colleagues at Duke University Medical Center and published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2000. It was designed because no existing self-rated social phobia scale covered the full spectrum of fear, avoidance and physiological symptoms, all of which matter clinically.
The Mini-SPIN (3 items derived from the SPIN, 2001) is a fast primary-care screener. The full SPIN is preferred when a diagnostic conversation and severity mapping follow.
Validation and evidence
The SPIN's validation drew on participants from three clinical trials and two control groups. It showed good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity against established social anxiety measures; a score of 19 distinguished people with social phobia from controls; and scores were responsive to change and separated active drugs from placebo. Factor analysis identified five factors [1]. The 3-item Mini-SPIN was then tested in 7,165 managed-care patients with interview confirmation: at a cut-off of 6 it showed 88.7% sensitivity, 90.0% specificity and 90% overall accuracy for generalised social anxiety disorder [2]. In India, the SPIN has been used in community research, such as a JIPMER survey of 1,018 school-going adolescents in rural Puducherry [3], though we are not aware of a study establishing Indian cut-offs.
Social anxiety is one of the anxiety disorders, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with exposure is a first-line treatment.
References
- Connor KM, Davidson JR, Churchill LE, Sherwood A, Foa E, Weisler RH. Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). New self-rating scale. Br J Psychiatry. 2000;176:379-386. PubMed
- Connor KM, Kobak KA, Churchill LE, Katzelnick D, Davidson JR. Mini-SPIN: a brief screening assessment for generalized social anxiety disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2001;14(2):137-140. PubMed
- Yuvaraj K, Kumar GD, Priyan S, et al. Prevalence and associated factors for social phobia among school-going adolescents in a rural area of Puducherry, South India. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2018;33(1). PubMed
SPIN vs other social anxiety scales
| Test | Items | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPIN | 17 | 4 min | General social anxiety screening + severity |
| Mini-SPIN | 3 | 1 min | Fast primary-care screening |
| LSAS | 24 situations × 2 ratings = 48 | 8 min | Detailed situation-specific mapping; CBT exposure planning |
| SPAI | 45 | 15 min | Deep self-report with agoraphobia sub-scale |
| SIAS | 20 | 4 min | Interaction anxiety specifically (see SIAS) |
Use SPIN for general social anxiety screening + severity tracking. Use LSAS when exposure work is being planned. Use SIAS if interaction anxiety (vs performance anxiety) is the specific focus.
When to act on your SPIN result
- 0-20: No action. Retake if new social contexts (new job, new city) arise.
- 21-30 (mild): Behavioural activation, exposure hierarchy building, self-help CBT. The CBT Thought Record is first-line. Retake in 4 weeks.
- 31-40 (moderate): Clinical evaluation. CBT with structured exposure is first-line; SSRI may be added. Book a Mindtalk psychologist.
- 41-50 (severe): Clinical evaluation this week. Combined CBT + medication often indicated. Consider the 90-day Anxiety Loop Breaker programme.
- 51-68 (very severe): Urgent clinical evaluation. Full assessment for social anxiety subtype, avoidant personality features, and intensive treatment planning.
After the SPIN
- Track over time. Retake every 4 weeks during treatment. CBT-driven improvement in the avoidance cluster is usually the earliest visible signal.
- Pair with LSAS if exposure is planned. LSAS maps which specific situations to work on first.
- Screen depression. Social anxiety and depression often occur together. Take the PHQ-9 alongside.
- Structured programme. The 90-day Anxiety Loop Breaker programme suits SPIN 25-45 range and includes structured exposure.
- Book a specialist. Mindtalk's psychologists with CBT expertise treat social anxiety across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, and online for anywhere in India.
How to take the SPIN
- 1
Open the SPIN in the Mindtalk app
Tap "Take the SPIN" to open the assessment. You will need a free Mindtalk account — sign-in takes under a minute.
- 2
Answer the 17 items
Rate how much each statement bothered you over the past week (0 = Not at all, 1 = A little bit, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = Very much, 4 = Extremely).
- 3
Get your total, cluster breakdown, and severity band
Receive a total 0-68 score, split by fear/avoidance/physiological clusters, severity band, and a personalised next-step recommendation.
Related assessment guides
BAI (explained) → GAD-7 alternative
The Beck Anxiety Inventory — the classic 21-item somatic-focused anxiety measure. Learn what it is, and take the free GAD-7 alternative in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →GAD-7
The most widely used anxiety screener in clinical practice. 7 questions, 2 minutes, instant score with a personalised next-step recommendation. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →HAM-A
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale — the clinician-administered anxiety severity standard since 1959. 14 items, 8 minutes, instant score bands. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →PANC
Are you having panic attacks? Test whether the pattern fits Panic Disorder criteria in 3 minutes. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →PSWQ
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire — the standard measure of trait pathological worry. 16 items, 4 minutes, instant clinical bands. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →SIAS
The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale — the standard measure of anxiety in one-on-one and small-group interaction. 20 items, 4 minutes. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →Frequently Asked Questions
- How accurate is the SPIN?
- In its 2000 validation, drawn from three clinical trials and two control groups, the SPIN showed good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity. A score of 19 distinguished people with social phobia from controls, and scores tracked symptom change and separated active medication from placebo. The 3-item Mini-SPIN showed 88.7% sensitivity and 90% specificity in a managed-care population. It screens rather than diagnoses.
- What's the difference between social anxiety and shyness?
- Shyness is a common personality trait — mild discomfort in new social situations that eases with familiarity and does not significantly impair function. Social Anxiety Disorder is a diagnosable condition — intense fear or anxiety about being scrutinised or negatively evaluated in social situations, which is either persistent, disproportionate to actual threat, and causes clinically significant distress or functional impairment (in work, education, relationships, or daily activities). The SPIN cut-off of 19 is where clinical significance typically begins.
- What are the SPIN severity bands?
- Standard bands are: 0-20 no / minimal social anxiety, 21-30 mild social anxiety, 31-40 moderate, 41-50 severe, 51+ very severe. The 19-point cut-off from the original validation is the main screening threshold; the severity bands are commonly used descriptive ranges.
- SPIN vs LSAS — which should I take?
- The LSAS (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale) is longer (24 situations, each rated for fear + avoidance = 48 ratings, 8 minutes) and more detailed. It maps specific social situations you find hardest, which is very useful for CBT exposure planning. The SPIN is a shorter general severity measure. Rule of thumb: SPIN for screening + tracking; LSAS when planning exposure work or when a specific situational profile matters.
- Is the SPIN validated in India?
- The SPIN is used in Indian research; for example, a JIPMER study used it to assess social phobia in 1,018 school-going adolescents in rural Puducherry. We are not aware of a large Indian study establishing separate cut-offs, so the 19-point threshold comes from US samples. Many people in India normalise social anxiety as shyness, so a high score is worth discussing with a clinician.
- Should I take SPIN if I already took GAD-7?
- Yes if social situations specifically are your main concern. GAD-7 measures generalized anxiety — worry about many things across many situations. SPIN measures social anxiety specifically — fear of scrutiny, avoidance of performance and interaction situations, physiological arousal in social contexts. They can be elevated independently. Roughly half of social anxiety cases have comorbid generalized anxiety, so taking both is often useful.
- How do I take the SPIN?
- Click 'Take the SPIN'. Complete the 17 items (3-4 minutes), receive your total + cluster split + severity band, and get a personalised next-step recommendation. Free in the Mindtalk app.
- What is the SPIN cut-off score?
- In the original 2000 validation, a SPIN score of 19 distinguished people with social phobia from controls, so 19 or more is the usual screening threshold. Commonly used severity ranges above that are 21-30 mild, 31-40 moderate, 41-50 severe and 51-68 very severe. A score above the cut-off is a reason for a clinical evaluation, not a diagnosis.
Need a clinician's read on your results?
A high score is a signal, not a diagnosis. Mindtalk's psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can interpret your results and recommend next steps — same-day appointments available.