Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:1019-1024
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
A family study of generalized anxiety disorder
R Noyes Jr, C Clarkson, RR Crowe, WR Yates and CM McChesney
The frequency of generalized anxiety disorder was higher among first-
degree relatives of probands with generalized anxiety (N = 20) than among
the relatives of control subjects (N = 20), but it was not higher among
relatives of probands with panic disorder (N = 40) or agoraphobia (N = 40).
Also, the frequency of panic disorder was higher among relatives of
probands with panic disorder than among control relatives but was not
higher among relatives of generalized anxiety probands. Relatives of
probands with generalized anxiety who had the same disorder had a mild,
stress-related illness. The results confirm the separation between
generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder but challenge the
distinction between generalized anxiety and adjustment disorders.
