Anxiety disorders in older Puerto Rican primary care patients.
OBJECTIVE
Authors examined the frequency and comorbidity of anxiety disorders among aging Puerto Ricans seen in primary care.


METHODS
A group of 303 middle-aged and older low-socioeconomic-status Puerto Ricans attending primary-care clinics were surveyed, using a Spanish-language diagnostic interview.


RESULTS
Twenty-four percent of participants met probable DSM criteria for at least one anxiety disorder in the previous year, especially generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, and panic attacks. Psychiatric comorbidity was common; the occurrence of most anxiety disorders increased the conditional risk of a comorbid disorder from 5- to 30-fold.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results suggest a need to screen at-risk patients in primary care settings serving this population.
Tolin
David F
DF
Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital's Mental Health Network, 200 Retreat Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106, USA. dtolin@harthosp.org
Robison
Julie T
JT
Gaztambide
Sonia
S
Blank
Karen
K
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011647:Puerto Rico