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Relationship between separation anxiety disorder, parental panic disorder, and atopic disorders in children: a
Marcia J Slattery1, Donald F Klein, Salvatore Mannuzza
1Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Insights
Children with separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and offspring of parents with panic disorder (PD) have higher rates of atopic disorders. These conditions independently increase atopy risk in children.
Area of Science:
- Child and adolescent psychiatry
- Clinical psychology
- Allergy and immunology
Background:
- Atopic disorders, such as asthma and allergies, are common in childhood.
- Parental panic disorder (PD) and childhood separation anxiety disorder (SAD) are significant psychiatric conditions.
- The comorbidity between atopic disorders and these psychiatric conditions requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental panic disorder (PD) and atopic disorders in offspring.
- To examine the link between childhood separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and the prevalence of atopic disorders.
- To determine if the combined presence of parental PD and childhood SAD increases atopic disorder risk.
Main Methods:
- Assessed atopic disorder rates in 343 children (aged 6-17) with parents having PD, other psychiatric disorders, or no psychiatric disorder.
- Utilized parental reports via a clinician-administered questionnaire for lifetime atopic disorder history (asthma, allergies).
- Employed logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and other medical treatments.
Main Results:
- Offspring of parents with PD showed significantly higher rates of atopic disorders (OR = 2.56, p = .009).
- Children with SAD also exhibited significantly increased rates of atopic disorders (OR = 2.71, p = .015).
- Both parental PD and childhood SAD independently predicted higher atopic disorder rates, with no significant interaction effect.
Conclusions:
- Childhood atopic disorders are associated with parental panic disorder (PD).
- Childhood separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is also linked to an increased prevalence of atopic disorders.
- The combined presence of parental PD and childhood SAD does not confer a greater risk for atopic disorders than either condition alone.
Objective:
To test the hypotheses that rates of atopic disorders are elevated in offspring of parents with panic disorder (PD) and in children with separation anxiety disorder (SAD).
Method:
Rates of atopic disorders were assessed in 343 offspring (aged 6-17 years) of parents with PD, nonpanic psychiatric disorders, and no psychiatric disorder. Lifetime history of atopic disorders was determined by parental responses to a clinician-administered questionnaire assessing medical treatment for asthma and allergies. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association between atopic disorders and parental PD, and between atopic disorders and probable or definite childhood SAD. Analyses controlled for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and treatment for other medical illnesses.
Results:
Increased rates of atopic disorders were found in offspring of parents with PD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27-5.16, p = .009) and in children with SAD (OR = 2.71, 95% Cl = 1.22-6.03, p = .015). Associations remained significant when both parental PD and SAD were included in the model, suggesting that each contributed independently to increased rates of atopy. The interaction of parental PD and child SAD was not significant.
Conclusions:
Atopic disorders in children are associated with parental PD and with childhood SAD. Results do not appear to support that having both childhood SAD and a parent with PD confers increased risk for atopic disorders above and beyond either condition alone.