Reation of panic disorder and somatic illnesses

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study was to indicate on the most common somatic illnesses in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia and to estimate possible association between panic disorder with agoraphobia and somatic illnesses.

Method:

The participants in this study were 93 patients with primary DSM IV diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia and 48 control subjects without psychiatric diagnosis. The presences of somatic illnesses were ascertained from the modified National Institute of Mental Health Panic Questionnaire (NIMH PQ), where the patients and control subjects answered on the questions about presence of specified somatic illnesses.

Results:

The most common somatic syndromes in the group of panic disorder patients were hypertension, hypotension, hyperthyroidism, constipation, and hypoglycaemia. Concerning somatic illnesses, in the sample of panic disorder patients most frequent were cardiovascular (61.3%), gastrointestinal (25.8%), endocrinology (19.4%) and urology (17.2%) illnesses. Comparing to control group, psychiatric healthy subjects, patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia have had statistically significant higher rate of cardiovascular (chi square=9.40, p<0.01) and endocrinology (chi square=19.31, p<0.01) illnesses.

Conclusion:

The overall results of the study indicate that: 1. There is a high level of comorbidity between panic disorder with agoraphobia and somatic illnesses, 2. Cardiovascular diseases was the most common illnesses in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia, 3. Cardiovascular and endocrine illnesses have had statistically significant higher rate in the patients than in the control group.