title: Panic disorder in clinically referred children and adolescents.
abstract: Prevalence, phenomenology, comorbidity, functional impairment and familial correlates of juvenile panic disorder (PD) are described in this study. A clinical interview (Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised) was administered to 220 children and adolescents consecutively referred to a Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry. 23 subjects (10.4%), aged 7 to 18 years, fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for PD. Reported panic symptoms are described, according to gender and chronological age. High comorbidity with generalized anxiety disorder (74%) and depression (52%) was noted. Agoraphobia (56%) and other phobias (56%) were significantly more frequent than in two control groups of subjects with generalized anxiety disorder and with depression. Antecedent and/or associated separation anxiety disorder was reported in 73% of the patients. Functional impairment, assessed with a specific diagnostic instrument (Children's Global Assessment Scale) was significantly greater in PD patients than in depressed or anxious patients. 90% of patients had at least one parent with an anxiety disorder, 52% had one parent with depressive disorder, 33% had one parent with drug treated PD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy. masi@inpe.unipi.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Favilla
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Millepiedi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index