title: Prevalence and disability of comorbid social phobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD) are disabling conditions, often comorbid with other anxiety disorders. The present study was aimed to assess prevalence and related disability of comorbid social phobia (SP) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in 115 patients with GAD (57) or PD (58).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were classified as having threshold, subthreshold, or no comorbidity, and related prevalence rates, as well as disability (Sheehan Disability Scale, SDS), were compared across diagnostic subgroups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SP and OCD comorbidities were present in 30.4% of the sample, with subthreshold comorbidities present at twice the rate of threshold ones (22.6% vs. 11.3%). Compared with GAD patients, PD patients showed significantly higher subthreshold and threshold comorbidity rates (27.6% and 13.8% vs. 17.5% and 8.8%, respectively). Comorbid PD patients had higher SDS scores than the comorbid and non-comorbid GAD subjects. The presence of threshold SP comorbidity was associated with the highest SDS scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SP and OCD comorbidities were found to be prevalent and disabling among GAD and PD patients, with higher subthreshold than threshold rates, and a negative impact on quality of life. Present findings stress the importance of a dimensional approach to anxiety disorders, the presence of threshold and subthreshold comorbidity being the rule rather than the exception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Camuri
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oldani
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benatti
authors.forename: Licia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lietti
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.forename: A Carlo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Altamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety disorders; disability; generalized anxiety disorder; panic disorder; subthreshold comorbidity; threshold comorbidity