PANIC DISORDER AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS - FINDINGS FROM THE NIMHEPIDEMIOLOGIC CATCHMENT-AREA PROJECT

Objective: Clinical experience and recent reports suggest that there i s a high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with pani c disorder and that there is a high prevalence of panic disorder in pa tients with irritable bowel syndrome, a functional gastrointestinal di sorder. To assess gastrointestinal symptoms in a nonpatient, community -based sample, the authors surveyed the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with panic disorder and other or no psychiatr ic disorders obtained in a national community survey. Method: Subjects were 13,537 respondents at four sites of the National Institute of Me ntal Health (NIMH) Epidemiological Catchment Area project. DSM-III dia gnoses were determined by using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed from the somatization disorder section of the DIS. Results: Individuals with panic disorder had a significantly higher rate of endorsing gastrointestinal symptoms , including those typically associated with irritable bowel syndrome, than those with other or no psychiatric diagnosis. Conclusions: Findin gs suggest a diagnostic overlap between panic disorder and irritable b owel syndrome, with similar demographic and clinical characteristics o f patients. Limitations of the study are discussed in terms of medical assessment and self-report inventories. Practical and theoretical imp lications are discussed.