[Diagnosis and management of panic disorder in psychiatry (PANDA Study)]

Panic disorder is a genuine public health problem given by their frequency and the various and repeated consultations that they involve. PD is underdiagnosed in primary care and in medical specialist. A public campaign might lead to improved diagnosis and better treatment of panic disorder, with a beneficial effect on medico-economic indicators. Intervention by the psychiatrist is of key importance, although it has not been evaluated to any great extend. The objective of the PANDA study was to look at the prevalence and diagnostic of panic disorder, the conditions of access to and use of care, as well as the method of treatment. Four hundred and twenty three psychiatrists participated in the study and 8,137 patients seen consecutively were included. The prevalence of actual panic disorder evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) systematic is 9%. In two third of cases coexisted agoraphobia and in one third a depression. Eighty six percent of patients with actual panic disorder were treated by the psychiatrists. The diagnosis and suitable treatment of panic disorder would appear to be a significant objective in term of public health, leading to a reduction in medical and social cost of this disorder.