title: Morbidity of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in the clinical presentation of panic disorder.
abstract: This study seeks to determine how panic disorder patients with anxiety and depression comorbidity differ from panic disorder patients without comorbidity at the time of presentation for treatment. One-hundred seventy-one panic disorder patients presenting for their initial assessment and treatment at the Payne Whitney Anxiety Disorders Clinic agreed to participate and completed self-report and diagnostic assessments. Sixty-seven percent of panic disorder subjects were found to have at least one comorbid anxiety or depression diagnosis. Age and gender ratio were not affected by the presence of comorbid diagnoses. Comorbidity significantly contributed to psychological distress and symptom load, overall impairment, and interpersonal impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Joan and Sanford I. Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, New York 10605, USA. wapfeldo%westnyh@nyh.mail.cornell.edu
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Apfeldorf
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Spielman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cloitre
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heckelman
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shear
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires