Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Panic and generalized anxiety: are they separate disorders?

¹College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York.

Journal of Psychiatric Research

|January 1, 1990

Summary

Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder are distinct conditions, supported by epidemiological, family, and twin studies. These findings confirm their separation despite some overlapping symptoms.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Depression and cognition are associated with lipid dysregulation in both a multigenerational study of depression and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Translational psychiatry·2024

Same author

Genetic effects influencing risk for major depressive disorder in China and Europe.

Translational psychiatry·2017

Same author

Polygenic interactions with environmental adversity in the aetiology of major depressive disorder.

Psychological medicine·2015

Same author

The effects on children of depressed mothers' remission and relapse over 9 months.

Psychological medicine·2014

Same author

Type I interferon signaling genes in recurrent major depression: increased expression detected by whole-blood RNA sequencing.

Molecular psychiatry·2013

Same author

Genotyping serotonin transporter polymorphisms 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 in European- and African-American subjects from the National Institute of Mental Health's Collaborative Center for Genomic Studies.

Translational psychiatry·2013

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD) are common anxiety disorders.
The distinctiveness of GAD and PD has been a subject of ongoing research and clinical debate.

Purpose of the Study:

To review existing evidence regarding the separation of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
To consolidate findings from epidemiological, family, and twin studies to support the distinction between these two disorders.

Main Methods:

Review of epidemiological data on prevalence and risk factors for GAD and PD.
Analysis of family aggregation studies for both disorders.
Examination of twin studies, including those using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Third Edition (DSM-III) criteria.

Main Results:

GAD and PD exhibit different community prevalence rates and risk factors.
Family aggregation patterns differ between GAD and PD, suggesting separate genetic influences.
Twin studies indicate higher concordance for PD in monozygotic than dizygotic twins, supporting a genetic basis and separation.

Conclusions:

Epidemiological, family, and twin study data collectively support the classification of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder as separate diagnostic entities.
While symptom overlap exists and comorbidity is possible, the evidence favors distinct underlying mechanisms for GAD and PD.
Further research may refine understanding of the relationship and potential developmental pathways between these anxiety disorders.

Related Experiment Videos