title: Preliminary validation of a screening tool for adolescent panic disorder in pediatric primary care clinics.
abstract: This study examines the validity of a brief screening tool for adolescent panic disorder (PD) in a primary care setting. A total of 165 participants (ages 12-17 years) seen in two pediatric primary care clinics completed the Autonomic Nervous System Questionnaire (ANS; Stein et al. in Psychosomatic Med 61:359-364, 40). A subset of those screening positive (n = 22) and negative (n = 23) for panic symptoms on the ANS completed follow-up phone interviews assessing fit with DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder, self-reported anxiety and depression symptom severity, anxiety-related correlates, and functional impairment. A two-question version of the ANS demonstrated excellent sensitivity (Se = 1.00), but lower specificity (Sp = 0.47) for PD diagnostic status. Three-question and five-question versions modestly improved specificity (Sp = 0.57 and 0.65, respectively). In addition, screen-positive participants reported higher panic symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and functional impairment, relative to screen-negative participants. Preliminary results suggest the ANS may be a valid screening tool for PD among adolescents, while simultaneously being brief and easy to score. Replication with larger samples is recommended as one related future research endeavor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Flipse Building, Room 346, 5665 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. aqueen@psy.miami.edu
authors.forename: Alexander H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Queen
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ehrenreich-May
authors.forename: Eugene R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Hershorin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires