Social phobic symptoms in patients with panic disorder: practical and theoretical implications

Of 35 patients with DSM-III-R diagnoses of panic disorder, 16 also received diagnoses of social phobia, and 15 of these 16 reported past episodes of major depression. Only nine of the 19 panic patients without social phobia had histories of depression. The panic patients with histories of depression had significantly higher self-ratings of social anxiety and avoidance, but not agoraphobic fear and avoidance, than those without histories of depression. Panic disorder and social phobia may coexist in many cases, and the presence of social phobia may be associated with a higher morbid risk for major depression in this population.