The epidemiology of anxiety and panic disorders: an update

Epidemiologic data on the prevalence rates for various DSM-III categories of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder, are now available from several community studies of adults. High degrees of co-morbidity have been found, especially among the anxiety disorders and between anxiety and affective disorders. Risk factors for anxiety disorders include young age, female gender, and familial history. The results of twin studies suggest that genetic factors are involved in the etiology of the anxiety disorders, particularly for panic disorder and agoraphobia. Implications for case finding and family psychiatry are discussed.