title: Comorbidity in anxiety disorders.
abstract: Ever since Feinstein coined the term "comorbidity", referring to the presence of any additional coexisting ailment in a patient with a particular index disease (J Chronic Dis 23:455-468, 1970), aspects of the phenomenon have been extensively studied. The aims of this chapter are: (1) to summarize the evidence of psychiatric comorbidity in anxiety disorders from adult population-based studies; (2) to present findings from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R); (3) to summarize evidence of psychiatric comorbidity in anxiety disorders from child and adolescent population-based samples; (4) to provide a summary of evidence on comorbidity from family and genetic studies; and (5) to examine patterns of comorbidity between anxiety disorders and medical conditions. Throughout each of these aims, implications of the comorbidity are explored, including whether these patterns reflect a need for redefining the disorders or rather an etiologic or even causal path.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 35 Convent Drive, MSC#3720, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Kathleen.Merikangas@nih.gov
authors.forename: Kathleen Ries
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Merikangas
authors.forename: Sonja Alsemgeest
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology