[Panic disorder and alcoholism]

Relationships between alcoholism and anxiety disorder are well known by clinicians. Studies have recently shown that the prevalence of alcohol abuse or dependence is very high in patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (Thyer et al., 1986; Bibb and Chambless, 1986). The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and comorbidity of alcohol abuse and dependence in a population of panic outpatients who were consecutive referrals for treatment of panic disorder (PD) in an anxiety clinic. Patients were interviewed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version Modified for the study of anxiety disorders (SADS-LA) which is a standardized and semi-structured interview allowing to make diagnoses according to RDC, DSM III and DSM III-R criteria. One hundred and three panic patients (39 males and 64 females) were included in the study. Their mean age was 38.5 years (SD: 11.6). In this sample, 24.3% met the DSM III-R criteria for alcohol abuse and 8.7% those for alcohol dependence. Among these patients, 26.2%, abused of benzodiazepines and 16.5% of them of other substances. We found a high comorbidity rate. In fact, 6.8% of the patients met diagnostic criteria for PD alone, 31.0% for one more diagnosis, 29.1% for two more and 33.0% for three or more besides PD. In this study, we found an association between alcohol abuse and the presence of a lifetime diagnosis of major depressive episode and/or other addictive behaviors. Otherwise, alcohol abuse did not occur more often in patients suffering from panic disorder associated with agoraphobia and/or social phobia.