Psychopathology in Children of Patients with Panic Disorder or Animal Phobia

Abstract

Several studies reveal a heightened risk for anxiety and other mental disorders in the offspring of patients with panic disorder and other anxiety disorders. Data on the specific type of transmitted disorders, however, are inconsistent. We investigated the specificity of the relationship between parents’ and children’s psychopathology. We assessed current and past mental disorders in 5- to 15-year-old children of patients with panic disorder (CPAN, n = 34), children of parents with no diagnosis of a mental disorder (CCON, n = 30) and children of animal phobics (CPHOB, n = 23) using a structured diagnostic interview according to DSM-III-R criteria. Diagnoses are based on parent as well as child information. CPAN and CPHOB had significantly more often at least one current mental disorder than children of the healthy control parents. Compared to CPHOB and CCON, children of panic patients had significantly more severe diagnoses and more often multiple diagnoses. Furthermore, a higher rate of internalizing anxiety disorders, particularly separation anxiety disorder, was found in CPAN. In contrast, children of animal phobics showed a higher rate of externalizing anxiety disorders. Our results suggest a specific transmission of such disorders that share common features of parental symptomatology.