Childhood abuse and familial violence and the risk of panic attacks and panic disorder in young adulthood

2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 881-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
RENEE D. GOODWIN ◽  
DAVID M. FERGUSSON ◽  
L. JOHN HORWOOD

Background. The objectives of the study were to examine linkages between exposure to childhood abuse and interparental violence and the subsequent development of panic attacks and panic disorder using data gathered on a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand young people studied to the age of 21 years.Method. Data on: (a) exposure to child abuse and interparental violence; (b) the development of panic attacks and panic disorder; and (c) other childhood and related factors were gathered over the course of a 21-year longitudinal study.Results. After adjustment for childhood and related factors, exposure to childhood physical abuse was associated with a significantly increased risk of later panic attack (OR 2·3, 95% CI 1·1–4·9) and panic disorder (OR 3·0, 95% CI 1·1–7·9); childhood sexual abuse was associated with a significantly increased risk of panic attack (OR 4·1, 95% CI 2·3–7·2) and a marginally significant increase risk of panic disorder (OR 2·2; 95% CI 0·98–5·0). Exposure to interparental violence was unrelated to later panic attack or disorder after adjustment.Conclusions. Exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse was associated with increased risks of later panic attack/disorder even after adjustment for prospectively assessed confounding factors. However, exposure to interparental violence during childhood was not related to increased risk of later panic attack/disorder after adjustment. These data suggest the need for clinicians to be aware that patients with histories of childhood physical and sexual abuse may be at increased risk for panic during young adulthood.

2018 ◽  
Vol 214 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline J. Bell ◽  
James A. Foulds ◽  
L. John Horwood ◽  
Roger T. Mulder ◽  
Joseph M. Boden

BackgroundThe extent to which exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse increases the risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood is currently unclear.AimsTo examine the relationship between childhood sexual and physical abuse and psychotic experiences in adulthood taking into account potential confounding and time-dynamic covariate factors.MethodData were from a cohort of 1265 participants studied from birth to 35 years. At ages 18 and 21, cohort members were questioned about childhood sexual and physical abuse. At ages 30 and 35, they were questioned about psychotic experiences (symptoms of abnormal thought and perception). Generalised estimating equation models investigated covariation of the association between abuse exposure and psychotic experiences including potential confounding factors in childhood (socioeconomic disadvantage, adverse family functioning) and time-dynamic covariate factors (mental health, substance use and life stress).ResultsData were available for 962 participants; 6.3% had been exposed to severe sexual abuse and 6.4% to severe physical abuse in childhood. After adjustment for confounding and time-dynamic covariate factors, those exposed to severe sexual abuse had rates of abnormal thought and abnormal perception symptoms that were 2.25 and 4.08 times higher, respectively than the ‘no exposure’ group. There were no significant associations between exposure to severe physical abuse and psychotic experiences.ConclusionsFindings indicate that exposure to severe childhood sexual (but not physical) abuse is independently associated with an increased risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood (particularly symptoms of abnormal perception) and this association could not be fully accounted for by confounding or time-dynamic covariate factors.Declaration of interestNone.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (T3) ◽  
pp. 237-239
Author(s):  
Muhammad Surya Husada ◽  
Mustafa M. Amin ◽  
Munawir Saragih

Background: COVID-19 is a newly emerging infectious disease which is found to be caused by SARS-2. COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide causing a rapidly increasing number of mental disorders cases, primarily anxiety disorder. Since majority of panic disorder patients are present with great anxiety in response to their physical or respiratory symptoms, support and encouragement from psychiatrist or therapist are fundamental to alleviate the severity of the symptoms. Case Report: We reported a case of COVID-19 induced panic disorder in a woman, 52 years old, batak tribe who started to experience multiple panic attacks since one of her family members was confirmed to be Covid-10 positive. Conclusion: In general, panic disorder is a common diagnosis, but this case appeared to be interesting as it is induced by COVID-19 pandemic. As in this case, the individual who experienced multiple panic attack is not even a COVID-19 patient but has one of her family member affected by the virus. A wide body of evidence has shown that this pandemic massively contributes to worsening of psychosocial burden in nationwide.


Author(s):  
Christina L. Macenski

Panic disorder consists of recurrent, unexpected panic attacks accompanied by persistent worry about future attacks and/or a maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks. A panic attack is defined as an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes that occurs in conjunction with several other associated symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Features of panic disorder that are more common in adolescents than in adults include less worry about additional panic attacks and decreased willingness to openly discuss their symptoms. All patients with suspected panic disorder should undergo a medical history, physical examination, and laboratory workup to exclude medical causes of panic attacks. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) including interoceptive exposures is the gold standard therapy intervention. Medications including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can also help reduce symptoms.


2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana L Lopes ◽  
Antonio E Nardi ◽  
Isabella Nascimento ◽  
Alexandre M Valença ◽  
Marco A Mezzasalma ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: To compare nocturnal and diurnal panic attacks in a cross-sectional study and in a longitudinal prospective short-term follow-up. METHODS: We selected 57 panic disorder (PD) subjects (DSM-IV) and rated them with the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) at baseline and after 30 days of treatment with nortriptyline, and with the Eysenck Personality Inventory and the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Scale at baseline. RESULTS: The sample was divided into a nocturnal and diurnal panic attack (NDPA) group - 57.9% (n = 33) - and a diurnal panic attack (DPA) group - 42.1% (n = 24). The groups showed a similar mean age at onset of PD and a pattern of prominent respiratory symptoms. The PDSS did not differ between the groups following short-term treatment (p = 0.451). There were also neither significant differences in Neuroticism (p = 0.094) and Extroversion (p = 0.269) nor in the Brown ADD Scale (p = 0.527). CONCLUSION: In our study, patients with both nocturnal and diurnal panic attacks showed similar features in their phenomenology and short-term outcome when compared to pure diurnal panic attacks patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-128
Author(s):  
S. Yu ◽  
◽  
S. Lee

Objective: People who have experienced childhood abuse are more likely to experience frequent or generalized anxiety or panic disorder (PD). Although previous studies have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to demonstrate structural abnormalities of brain in subjects with PD, there are no study about the brain white matter (WM) connectivity differences between PD with and without early sexual abuse. The objective of this study is to compare the brain WM connectivity between PD with and without early sexual abuse history. Design and Method: Twelve right-handed patients with PD [12 women; 35.91±10.29 (mean±SD) age] who met the diagnostic criteria in Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV were examined by means of MRI at 3 Tesla. We divided the patients with PD into two groups with and without early sexual abuse to compare the WM connectivity. Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R) were administered in PD patients. Results: Tract-based spatial statistics showed that fractional anisotropy (FA) values in PD with sexual abuse history were significantly higher than PD without abuse in the right internal capsule, superior corona radiata, sagittal stratum, fornix. The scores of PDSS, BDI, ASI-R were significantly correlated in the above-mentioned WM regions. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that early sexual abuse could influence the connectivity among emotion related limbic structures in PD.


2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 879-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
RENEE D. GOODWIN ◽  
WILLIAM W. EATON

Objective. The study was designed to determine the association between self-reported asthma and the risk, persistence and severity of panic attacks among adults in the community.Method. Data were drawn from waves 1 and 2 of the Baltimore site of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study (N=2768), which included self-report information on asthma, treatment for asthma and panic attacks in 1981 and 1982. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios comparing the prevalence of panic attack at baseline and follow-up by asthma status at baseline. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between self-reported asthma status and the number of panic symptoms during a panic attack.Results. Self-report asthma was associated with significantly increased likelihood of having panic attacks at baseline (1981) (12·1% v. 7·3%, P<0·05) and of having panic attacks at both baseline and follow-up (15·9% v. 7·3%, P<0·05), compared to those without asthma at baseline. Adults receiving treatment for asthma at baseline had an increased risk of incident panic attacks at follow-up (OR=2·65 (1·11, 6·34)) and at baseline and follow-up (OR=5.88 (2·21, 15.62)), though untreated asthma did not appear to increase risk of incident panic at follow-up. Similarly, the risk of panic at follow-up was not increased among those with asthma at baseline who did not report asthma at follow-up, compared with those without asthma at baseline. Treated asthma was associated with having more panic symptoms during panic attacks, compared to those without asthma (P<0·001).Conclusion. These findings are consistent with and extend previous results suggesting that self-reported asthma is associated with an increased risk of panic attacks among adults in the general population, and that there is a consistent relation between severity and persistence of asthma and panic attacks. The lack of association between remitted asthma and panic attack may reveal a need for further research to determine whether asthma may be a causal risk factor for panic attacks, or whether a third factor (genetic or environmental) may be associated with increased risk of the co-occurrence of asthma and panic attacks. Replication of these results using alternative methodology with corroborative data on asthma and panic attacks is needed next.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S341-S341
Author(s):  
A. Tortelli ◽  
F. Perquier ◽  
V. Le Masson ◽  
D. Sauze ◽  
N. Skurnik ◽  
...  

IntroductionHomeless people are more likely to have higher prevalence of psychotic disorders than general population. However, we know less about the prevalence of psychotic symptoms in this group.ObjectivesTo estimate the lifetime and current prevalence of psychotic symptoms and their correlates among homeless people living in the Paris metropolitan area.MethodsWe analysed data from 839 homeless randomly selected for the “Samenta” survey that studied mental health and addiction problems in this population. The mini-international neuropsychiatric interview was used to assess psychotic symptoms. Separate multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations of sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, education level and migrant status), early life experiences (sexual abuse, physical and psychological violence, substance use) and psychiatric disorders.ResultsThe lifetime prevalence of psychotic symptoms was 35.4% (95% CI = 28.1–43.5) and the prevalence of current symptoms was 14,0% (95% CI = 9,8–19,6) with no significant difference between migrant and native groups, after exclusion of subjects with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder (n = 145). In multi-adjusted models, childhood sexual abuse was associated with an increased risk of lifetime or current psychotic symptoms (OR > 4, P < 0.05). Early life psychological violence was strongly associated with the risk of lifetime psychotic symptoms in natives (OR = 6.33; 95% CI = 2.10–19.0), whereas alcohol misuse in adolescence was related to lifetime or current psychotic symptoms in migrants (OR = 3.34; 95% CI = 1.20–9.37).ConclusionHomeless people are at higher risk of psychotic symptoms compared to the general population in France. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that childhood abuse is an important risk factor of the psychosis continuum.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manabu Yasuda ◽  
Jun Kumakura ◽  
Oka Kiyonori ◽  
Kazuhito Fukuda

Abstract BackgroundGraves' disease is characterized by hyperthyroidism and the symptoms of Graves' disease often overlap with those of panic disorder, which may make it difficult to distinguish between the two conditions. In this report, we describe how proper diagnosis of thyroid disease in patients with mental illness can lead to appropriate treatment.Case presentationWe encountered a 34-year-old woman in whom thyroid crisis from Graves’ disease was misdiagnosed as panic attack. The patient was being managed as a case of panic disorder and bipolar disorder in a psychiatric outpatient setting. About 6 months before presentation, she had lost about 16 kg in weight, and a month before presentation, she developed several unpleasant symptoms as her condition worsened. Several weeks before, she had severe palpitations, tachycardia, and discomfort in her throat. She became unable to eat solids and ate only yogurt and gelatin and felt difficult to take psychiatric drugs.A day on the Sunday morning, she visited our department of emergency outpatient with severe nausea. Examination revealed proptosis, and so thyroid function tests were requested in addition to routine blood tests. There was no improvement in her condition, and she returned to hospital in the early hours of the next morning. Based on her symptoms, she was diagnosed as having panic attacks due to panic disorder and was given diazepam injection and allowed to go home. There was no suspicion of Graves' disease.Later that day, the thyroid function test results became available and thyroid storm was suspected. The endocrinology department was consulted immediately and she was referred and hospitalized the next day. During hospitalization, she was treated with steroid and radioisotope therapy, and was discharged from hospital in three weeks. ConclusionPsychiatrists and doctors engaged in psychosomatic medicine need to consider the possibility of thyroid disease as a differential diagnosis of panic disorder. It is necessary to check thyroid function at the initial examination when a patient presents with symptoms of severe panic attack.


1988 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 935-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
George D. Zgourides ◽  
Ricks Warren

In a recent survey of panic attacks administered to 338 high school students, a significant number of adolescents (31.9%) reported experiencing at least one panic attack meeting DSM-III diagnostic criteria. In addition, 4.7% of the students reported experiencing panic severely and frequently enough to fulfill diagnostic criteria for panic disorder. These prevalence rates are consistent with the findings of current research into the incidence of panic phenomena among adults and provide evidence for the commonality of panic across various age groups. As there are few data concerning the incidence of anxiety disorders in adolescents, further investigation into the prevalence of panic in this population is warranted.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (S1) ◽  
pp. 2-4
Author(s):  
Iwona Chelminski

There is considerable symptom overlap and high levels of comorbidity between anxiety disorders and depression. The recognition of this comorbidity has both academic interest and clinical significance. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that depressed individuals with a history of anxiety disorders are at increased risk for hospitalization, suicide attempt, and greater impairment from the depression. These individuals also tend to have a more chronic course of depression, as observed in psychiatric patients, primary care patients, and epidemiological samples. Van Valkenberg and colleagues reported that depressed patients with anxiety had poorer outcome and greater psychosocial impairment than those without an anxiety disorder. In the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Depression Study, the presence of panic attacks predicted a lower rate of recovery during the first 2 years of the follow-up interval. Similarly, Grunhaus found poorer outcome in depressed patients with comorbid panic disorder than in depressed patients without panic. In an 8-month follow-up study, depressed primary care patients with a history of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or panic disorder were less likely to have recovered from their depressive episode.Gaynes and colleagues prospectively followed primary care patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) every 3 months for 1 year after their initial diagnostic evaluation. At baseline, half of the original 85 patients had a coexisting anxiety disorder, the most frequent being social phobia (n=38). Twelve months after intake, 68 of the patients were available for the final interview. Those with a comorbid anxiety disorder were significantly more likely to still be in an episode of depression (82% vs 57%; risk ratio=1.44; 95% CI 1.02-2.04), and they experienced more disability days during the course of the 12 months than the depressed patients without an anxiety disorder (67.1 days vs 27.5 days).


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