The epidemiology of anxiety disorders

Recent data on the epidemiology of anxiety disorders is presented with a focus on studies which have used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule or a similar instrument which generates DSM-III diagnoses. Data on the prevalence, incidence, onset, associated risk factors, morbidity and health service use of the DSM-III anxiety disorders are presented. The rates for the different types of disorders tend to be similar across different sites and studies except for simple phobia and generalized anxiety disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder is far more prevalent than expected. There is a unexpectedly high rate of health service utilization and attempted suicide associated with panic disorder. The patterns of different rates for different disorders, different patterns of onset and associated risk factors are partially confirmatory of the DSM-III classification, particularly the assumption of discontinuity between panic disorder, agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder