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Lifetime Comorbidity of Panic Attacks and Major Depression in a Population-Based Study

Symptom Profiles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Laura Andrade ,
William W. Eaton  and
Howard Chilcoat
Laura Andrade*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Hygiene, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
William W. Eaton
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Hygiene, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Howard Chilcoat
Affiliation:
Addiction Research Center, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore
*
Dr Laura Andrade, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 8091, São Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract

Background

The co-occurrence of panic disorder and major depression in the same individual is common. A question to be answered is whether the comorbid disorder is a distinct one or may resemble one or other disorder. In this paper we examine whether the comorbid disorder is a distinct condition.

Method

We examined the symptom profiles and rates of comorbidity of panic attacks and DIS/DSM–III major depressive disorder in a population-based sample from four sites of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program (n = 12 668).

Results

The co-occurrence of panic attacks and major depression over the lifetime was 11 times higher than expected by chance (OR = 11.4, 95% CI 9.5 to 13.6). Subjects with both panic and depression had worse symptoms than those who had only one disorder. However, the pattern of symptoms was remarkably similar, after overall severity was taken into account. Depressive symptoms associated with more severe forms of depression (e.g. guilt, suicidal thoughts or attempts, and motor disturbance) were more frequent in the comorbid group.

Conclusions

These findings may indicate a worse severity when the two disorders occur in the same individual.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 165 , Issue 3 , September 1994 , pp. 363 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1994 

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