Prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders in schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
Diagnostic and treatment hierarchical reductionisms have resulted in an oversight of anxiety syndromes in schizophrenia.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of different anxiety disorders in schizophrenia patients.


METHODS
The study was conducted on inpatients of a tertiary care psychiatric hospital using a prospective, purposive sampling technique. The study consisted of 93 schizophrenia patients and a similar number of normal controls. The schizophrenia patients and controls were evaluated for psychopathology and the presence of anxiety disorder.


RESULTS
The prevalence of anxiety disorder was significantly higher in schizophrenia patients (45.16%) compared to controls (16.12%). Further, the prevalence of panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was significantly higher in schizophrenia patients. No significant correlation was observed between anxiety disorder scores and psychopathology scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders (panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and OCD) in schizophrenia is significantly higher in the general population. The onset of anxiety disorder commonly precedes the onset of schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Ranchi Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Allied Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
Chandra
C
Kiran
Department of Psychiatry, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Rural Medical College and Hospital, Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
Suprakash
S
Chaudhury
Comorbid anxiety disorders; obsessive-compulsive disorder; panic disorder; schizophrenia; social anxiety disorder