PHENOMENOLOGY OF PANIC DISORDER AND MAJOR DEPRESSION IN A FAMILY STUDY

Family data were used to examine the phenomenology of MDD and panic di sorder in relatives with respect to (a) proband diagnoses of PD and MD D, and (b) the occurrence of the disorders comorbidly vs. singly irres pective of family history. PD and MDD do not differ phenomenologically by proband diagnosis. However,PD comorbid with MDD shows more frequen t panic attacks and more symptoms thanPD without MDD. Endogenous and d elusional subtypes and additional comorbidityare more frequent in rela tives with MDD plus than in relatives with MDD without PD. The well do cumented clinical heterogeneities of PD and MDD are not clearly detect able in their phenomenology as a function of whether probands carried both diagnoses or only one. PD and MDD are more severe when they are i n the comorbid form compared to when they occur singly.