Patterns of comorbidity in panic disorder and major depression: findings from a nonreferred sample.
Previous findings in referred adult samples document major depression as having important moderating effects on the patterns of comorbidity for panic disorder and major depression. This study evaluated whether these patterns of comorbidity are moderated by referral bias. Panic disorder (PD) and major depression (MD) were used to predict the risk for comorbid psychiatric disorders and functional outcomes using data from a large sample of adults who had not been ascertained on the basis of clinical referral (N=1,031). Participants were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interview methodology to evaluate childhood and adult comorbid psychiatric disorders. PD increased the risk for anxiety disorders, independently of MD. MD increased the risk for mania, antisocial personality disorder, psychoactive substance use disorder, disruptive behavior disorders, overanxious disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder, independently of PD. These results extend to nonreferred samples' previously reported findings documenting that MD has important moderating effects on patterns of comorbidity for PD and indicate that patterns of comorbidity for PD are not due to referral bias.
Biederman
Joseph
J
Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit of the Child Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA. jbiederman@partners.org
Petty
Carter
C
Faraone
Stephen V
SV
Hirshfeld-Becker
Dina R
DR
Henin
Aude
A
Pollack
Mark H
MH
Rosenbaum
Jerrold F
JF
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors