title: Quality of life in early phases of panic disorder: predictive factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the quality of life (QoL) of patients with panic disorder of recent onset and to find related clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Panic disorder patients with and without agoraphobia (N=125) in the first stages of the disorder (median of 8 months since the first panic attack) were compared with a community control group. Quality of life was evaluated by 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and by a single-item scale evaluating subjective well-being.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Panic disorder patients had worse scores than the general population in all of the dimensions of the SF-36. Anxiety and depressive symptoms, age, frequency of panic attacks and agoraphobic avoidance accounted for 18-42% of the variance in QoL scores. Frequency of panic attacks and agoraphobic avoidance were variables accounting for poor QoL in physical functioning and mental health respectively. However, unspecific factors in addition to panic symptomatology, particularly depressive and anxiety symptoms, significantly contribute to the worse QoL of these patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Panic disorder of recent onset is a deteriorating condition. Clinical variables do not equally affect mental health and physical functioning, and unspecific factors in addition to panic contribute to the poor QoL.
authors.affiliation: Panic Disorder Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrán
authors.forename: José Luís
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ayuso-Mateos
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sierra-Biddle
authors.forename: Maria Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayestarán
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoyuela
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Cabo
authors.forename: José Luís
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Barquero
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012016:Reference Values; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013030:Spain; D013223:Statistics as Topic