DEPRESSION AND PANIC - COMORBIDITY

Panic disorder is a common condition. Epidemiological studies througho ut the world consistently indicate that the lifetime prevalence of pan ic disorder (with or without agoraphobia) is between 1.5% and 3.5%. Pa nic disorder shows substantial comorbidity with other forms of mental illness. Major depressive disorder occurs in 50 to 65% of individuals with panic disorder and there is considerable cross-sectional and long itudinal comorbidity with recurrent brief depression and dysthymia. Ph obic anxiety disorders, most notably social phobia and generalised anx iety disorder, commonly occur with panic disorder, especially in indiv iduals with more severe agoraphobia. Approximately 35 to 50% of indivi duals with panic disorder in community settings also have agoraphobia. Panic disorder also shows significant comorbidity with physical illne ss. Compared with individuals without or with some other psychiatric d iagnosis, patients with panic disorder have an increased risk of suffe ring from multiple medically unexplained symptoms and are associated w ith high use of medical services and increased mortality from both car diovascular and cerebrovascular disease. (C) 1998, Elsevier, Paris.