Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-7zcd7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-13T02:07:09.224Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Panic disorder in later life: results from a national survey of Canadians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2007

Laurie M. Corna ,
John Cairney ,
Nathan Herrmann ,
Scott Veldhuizen ,
Laura McCabe  and
David Streiner
Laurie M. Corna*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada
John Cairney
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
Nathan Herrmann
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
Scott Veldhuizen
Affiliation:
Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
Laura McCabe
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
David Streiner
Affiliation:
Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Laurie M. Corna, Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada. Phone: +1 416 535 8501; Fax: +1 416 979 4703. Email: laurie.corna@utoronto.ca.
Get access

Abstract

Background: At present, our understanding of the risk markers associated with panic disorder among older, community dwelling older adults is limited. To address this gap, we examined the prevalence, risk markers, and comorbidity of panic disorder defined using DSM-IV criteria among older adults.

Method: Using data drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of Canadians, we estimated lifetime and 12-month prevalence of panic disorder, and examined demographic predictors and patterns of comorbidity of current panic disorder in adults aged 55 years and older (n = 12,792).

Results: The 12-month and lifetime prevalence estimates of panic disorder in this sample were 0.82% and 2.45% respectively, and one-fifth of these cases reported a first onset after the age of 55 years. In multivariate models, the risk of panic disorder decreased with older age and was significantly lower among widowed respondents. Physical limitations in daily activities as well as the presence of other psychiatric disorders (major depression, and social phobia) were also significantly associated with panic disorder in this sample.

Conclusions: Consistent with previous research on panic disorder, the prevalence of the disorder decreased with age among older adults. Potential explanations for the age effect and the clinical implications of the mental health comorbidities with panic disorder are discussed.

Keywords

anxiety disorderepidemiologyolder adults

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , December 2007 , pp. 1084 - 1096
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Alvarenga, M. E., Richards, J. C., Lambert, G. and Esler, M. D. 2006. Psychophysiological mechanisms in panic disorder: a correlative analysis of noradrenaline spillover, neuronal noradrenaline reuptake, power spectral analysis of heart rate variability and psychological variables. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68, 8–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
American Psychiatric Association 2000. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Beekman, A. T. F. et al. 1998. Anxiety disorders in later life: a report from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 717–727.3.0.CO;2-M>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beekman, A. T. F., de Beurs, E., van Balkom, A. J. L. M., Deeg, D. J. H., van Dyck, R. and Tilburg, W. 2000. Anxiety and depression in later life: co-occurrence and communality of risk factors. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 89–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Birchall, H., Brandon, S. and Taub, N. 2000. Panic in a general practice population: prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity and associated disability. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 35, 235–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bland, R. C., Newman, S. C. and Orn, H. 1988a. Period prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Edmonton. Acta Psychiatrica Scandanavica, 77 (Suppl. 338), 33–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bland, R. C., Newman, S. C. and Orn, H. 1988b. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the elderly in Edmonton. Acta Psychiatrica Scandanavica, 77 (Suppl. 338), 57–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlbring, P., Gustafsson, H., Ekselius, L. and Andersson, G. 2002. 12-month prevalence of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in the Swedish general population. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 37, 207–211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coryell, W., Noyes, R. and House, D. 1986. Mortality among outpatients with anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 508–510.Google ScholarPubMed
Eaton, W. W., Kessler, R. C., Wittchen, H.-U. and Magee, W. J. 1994. Panic and panic disorder in the United States. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 413–420.Google ScholarPubMed
Flint, A. J. 1994. Epidemiology and comorbidity of anxiety disorders in the elderly. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 640–648.Google ScholarPubMed
Flint, A. J. and Rifat, S. L. 1997. Anxious depression in elderly patients: response to antidepressant treatment. Clinical Neuroscience, 4, 31–36.Google Scholar
Flint, A. J., Cook, J. M. and Rabins, P. V. 1996. Why is panic disorder less frequent in late-life? American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 4, 96–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flint, A. J., Koszycki, D., Vaccarino, F. J., Cadieux, A., Boulenger, J-P. and Bradwejn, J. 1998. Effect of aging on cholecystokinin-induced panic. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 283–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodwin, R. D. et al. 2005. The epidemiology of panic disorder and agoraphobia in Europe. European Neuropsychopharamacology, 15, 435–443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gravel, R. and Béland, Y. 2005. The Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 50, 573–579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horwath, E., Cohen, R. S. and Weissman, M. M. 2002. Epidemiology of depressive and anxiety disorders. In Tsuang, M. T. and Tohen, M. (eds.), Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2nd edn (pp. 389–425). New York: Wiley-Liss and Sons.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hybels, C. F. and Blazer, D. G. 2002. Epidemiology and geriatric psychiatry. In Tsuang, M. T. and Tohen, M. (eds.), Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2nd edn (pp. 603–628). New York: Wiley-Liss and Sons.Google Scholar
Kawachi, I. et al. 1994. Prospective study of phobic anxiety and risk of coronary heart disease in men. Circulation, 89, 1992–1997.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, R. C. et al. 1994. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51, 8–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, R. C. et al. 2004. Clinical calibration of DSM-IV diagnoses of the World Mental Health (WMH) version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI). International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 13, 122–139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, R. C., Wai Tat Chiu, A. M., Demler, O. and Walters, E. E. 2005. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 617–627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krasucki, C., Howard, R. and Mann, A. 1998. The relationship between anxiety disorders and age. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 79–99.3.0.CO;2-G>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCabe, L., Cairney, J., Veldhuizen, S., Herrmann, N. and Streiner, D. L. 2006. Prevalence and correlates of agoraphobia in older adults. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14, 515–522.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Myers, J. K. et al. 1984. Six-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders in three communities. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 959–967.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Offord, D. R. et al. 1996. One-year prevalence of psychiatric disorder in Ontarians 15–64 years of age. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 559–563.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Regier, D. A. et al. 1988. One-month prevalence of mental disorders in the United States: based on five epidemiologic catchment area sites. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 977–986.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Streiner, D. L., Cairney, J., Veldhuizen, S. 2006. The epidemiology of psychological problems in the elderly. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, 185–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, P. S., Berglund, P. and Kessler, R. C. 2000. Recent care of common mental disorders in the United States: prevalence and conformance with evidence-based recommendations. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 15, 284–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weissman, M. M. et al. 1997. The cross-national epidemiology of panic disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 54, 305–309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wittchen, H.-U. and Essau, C. A. 1993. Epidemiology of panic disorder: Progress and unresolved issues. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 27, 47–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed