Childhood separation anxiety and panic disorder: a comparative study.
1. The relationship between childhood separation anxiety and panic disorder in adults is analyzed using data from a multicenter trial in 107 patients. 2. The patients included in this study presented anxiety disorder with or without agoraphobia, diagnosed according to DSM-III criteria. 3. The percentage of patients with antecedents of separation anxiety was 17.8% in patients without agoraphobia and 21.7% in patients with agoraphobia. These rates are significantly higher than those encountered in a group of normal controls (4%). 4. The existence of separation anxiety in childhood does not seem to significantly modify the clinical manifestations or severity of panic disorder in the adult.
Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
J L
JL
Ayuso
S
S
Alfonso
A
A
Rivera
D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010200:Panic; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales