Clinical Markers of Panic and Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of this observational study is to compare socio-demographic and clinical features in patients affected by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and by Panic Disorder (PD). The main questions it aims to answer are: which socio-demographic/clinical markers are associated to GAD or PD diagnosis? which factors are associated with a longer duration of untreated illness (DUI) in GAD and in PD? Participants will signed a written informed consent and socio-demographic/clinical variables will be retrospectively collected. Researchers will compare GAD and PD groups in terms of socio-demographic and clinical features, including DUI, to better characterize the two disorders and to investigate factors associated to a longer DUI.

Official Title
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder: Differences in Clinical Manifestation and Prognosis, a Multicenter Study

Conditions
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Duration of Untreated Illness

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: age 18-65 years; ability and willing to give informed consent; fluency in Italian language; diagnosis of GAD or PD according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 5th edition. Exclusion Criteria: intellectual disability; lack of clinical and socio-demographic information; patients treated for less than three months in the outpatient clinics for the impossibility of a comprehensive collection of clinical variables.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)<br>Patients affected by GAD | Diagnostic Test: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5<br>* A structured interview will be administered to confirm the diagnosis reported in clinical charts<br>|
| Panic Disorder (PD)<br>Patients affected by Panic Disorder | Diagnostic Test: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5<br>* A structured interview will be administered to confirm the diagnosis reported in clinical charts<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quantitative socio-demographic / clinical variables | Age (years), age at onset (years), duration of illness (years), duration of treatment (years) | Three months | 
| Sex | Sex (male/female) | Three months | 
| Occupation | Occupation (employed/unemployed) | Three months | 
| Pre-/post-onset Comorbidity | Psychiatric and medical comorbidity | Three months | 
| Substance misuse | Substance misuse | Three months | 
| Treatment | Treatment, treatment discontinuation and side effects | Three months | 
| Dichotomous socio-demographic / clinical variables | Multiple family history of psychiatric disorders (yes/no), pre- and post-onset psychiatric poly-comorbidities (yes/no), presence of personality disorder (yes/no), pre- and post-onset poly-substance misuse (yes/no), pre- and post-onset medical poly-comorbidities (yes/no), suicide attempts (yes/no), hospitalizations (yes/no), poly-therapy (yes/no), presence of poly-side effects (yes/no), presence of lifetime psychotherapy (yes/no) | Three months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Duration of untreated illness (DUI) in months = time between the onset of PD and the first appropriate pharmacological treatment. | Factors associated to DUI among GAD and PD groups. Information about DUI have been registered according to what the patient reported (clinical records and structured interviews) | Three months |