PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS AND THEIR COMORBIDITY WITH MOOD AND ADDICTIVE DISORDERS

Background The co-occurrence of anxiety disorders with other mental, a ddictive, and physical disorders has important implications for treatm ent and for prediction of clinical course and associated morbidity. Me thod Cross-sectional and prospective data on 20 291 individuals from t he Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study were analysed to determine one-month, current disorders. one-year incidence, and one-year and li fetime prevalence of anxiety, mood, and addictive disorders, and to id entify the onset and offset of disorders within the one-year prospecti ve period. Results Nearly half (47.2%) of those meeting lifetime crite ria for major depression also have met criteria for a comorbid anxiety disorder.The average age of onset. of any lifetime anxiety disorder ( 16.4 years) and social phobia (11.6 years) among those with major depr ession was much younger than the onset age for major depression (23.2 years) and panic disorder. Conclusions Anxiety disorders, especially s ocial and simple phobias, appear to have an early onset in adolescence with potentially severe consequences. predisposing those affected to greater vulnerability to major depression and addictive disorders.