Comorbidity of panic disorder in bipolar illness: evidence from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey

OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to determine the rate of comorbid panic disorder in individuals with bipolar disorder. METHOD: They used the Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey database to determine the prevalence of comorbid panic disorder in individuals with unipolar depression, those with bipolar disorder, and comparison subjects without bipolar or unipolar disorder. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of panic disorder among subjects with bipolar disorder was 20.8%; among subjects with unipolar depression it was 10.0%, and among comparison subjects it was 0.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with bipolar disorder have a particularly high risk of comorbid panic disorder. The evaluation of patients with bipolar disorder should include screening for panic disorder.