Am J Psychiatry 1988; 145:293-300
Copyright © 1988 by American Psychiatric Association
Depression and panic attacks: the significance of overlap as reflected in follow-up and family study data
W Coryell, J Endicott, NC Andreasen, MB Keller, PJ Clayton, RM Hirschfeld, WA Scheftner and G Winokur
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242.
Ninety-one patients with panic attacks limited historically to depressive
episodes had more severe depressive symptoms and were less likely to
recover during a 2-year follow-up than 417 depressed patients who did not
have panic attacks. Family study data clearly distinguished another 15
patients with panic disorder and secondary depression; interviewed
relatives of panic disorder patients were significantly less likely to have
primary depression and significantly more likely to have various anxiety
disorders. These data support the hierarchical system by which many of the
contemporary diagnostic systems separate panic disorder and major
depression.
