A community-based telephone survey of panic disorder in Hong Kong

Panic disorder (PD) is prevalent, impairing, under-recognized, and often mistreated. Previous surveys in Chinese communities indicate very low prevalence estimates and provide limited information about its clinical characteristics. A random telephone survey of the general population (age range, 15-60 years) in Hong Kong was conducted using a questionnaire that generated the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV-based diagnosis of PD, its symptom profile, help-seeking behavior, and health visit expenditure. Of 3,004 interviews successfully completed, 3.89% of participants (n=117) met criteria of PD in the previous 6 months. Their demographic and clinical profile resembled that of their Western counterparts. Excessive physical investigations and under-treatment were common. Participants with subthreshold PD (14.9%; n=449) exhibited a similar but attenuated clinical profile. We conclude that PD may be more common in Chinese people than what previous epidemiological surveys suggest. The present study is limited by the lack of clinical reappraisal, examination of comorbidity, and a low overall response rate. Nonetheless, it suggests that telephone interviews may provide a cost-effective alternative to large-scale epidemiological surveys for communities with limited resources for mental health research and high unmet needs for treatment.