Behavioral inhibition and history of childhood anxiety disorders in Brazilian adult patients with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of behavioral inhibition and anxiety disorders during childhood in Brazilian adult patients with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder compared to a control group.


METHODS
Fifty patients with panic disorder, 50 patients with social anxiety disorder, and 50 control subjects were included in the study. To assess the history of childhood anxiety, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children, Epidemiologic Version (K-SADS-E), and the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Parent Version (DICA-P) were used. The presence of behavioral inhibition in childhood was assessed by the self-reported scale of Behavioral Inhibition Retrospective Version (RSRI-30).


RESULTS
Patients showed significantly higher prevalence of anxiety disorders and behavioral inhibition in childhood compared to the control group. Patients with social anxiety disorder also showed significantly higher rates of avoidance disorder (46% vs. 18%, p = 0.005), social anxiety disorder (60% vs. 26%, p = 0.001), presence of at least one anxiety disorder (82% vs. 56%, p = 0.009) and global behavioral inhibition (2.89 +/- 0.61 vs. 2.46 +/- 0.61, p < 0.05) and school/social behavioral inhibition (3.56 +/- 0.91 vs. 2.67 +/- 0.82, p < 0.05) in childhood compared to patients with panic disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data are in accordance to the literature and corroborates the theory of an anxiety diathesis, suggesting that a history of anxiety disorders in childhood is associated with an anxiety disorder diagnosis, mainly social anxiety disorder, in adulthood.
Isolan
Luciano Rassier
LR
Anxiety Disorders Program, Psychiatric Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Zeni
Cristian Patrick
CP
Mezzomo
Kelin
K
Blaya
Carolina
C
Kipper
Leticia
L
Heldt
Elizeth
E
Manfro
Gisele Gus
GG
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010553:Personality Development; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales