OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to determine the rate of comorbid panic
disorder in individuals with bipolar disorder. METHOD: They used the
Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey database to determine the prevalence of
comorbid panic disorder in individuals with unipolar depression, those with
bipolar disorder, and comparison subjects without bipolar or unipolar
disorder. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of panic disorder among subjects
with bipolar disorder was 20.8%; among subjects with unipolar depression it
was 10.0%, and among comparison subjects it was 0.8%. CONCLUSIONS:
Individuals with bipolar disorder have a particularly high risk of comorbid
panic disorder. The evaluation of patients with bipolar disorder should
include screening for panic disorder.Abstract Teaser