Citation

Dalrymple KL, Zimmerman M. J. Anxiety Disord. 2011; 25(1): 131-137.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, United States. kristy dalrymple@brown.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.08.012

PMID

20832989

PMCID

PMC3006477

Abstract

Onset of social anxiety disorder (SAD) often precedes that of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients with this comorbidity pattern. The current study examined the association between three SAD onset groups (childhood, adolescent, adulthood) and clinical characteristics of 412 psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with MDD and SAD based on a semi-structured diagnostic interview. Childhood and adolescent SAD onset groups were more likely to report an onset of MDD prior to age 18 and have made at least one prior suicide attempt compared to the adulthood onset group. The childhood SAD onset group also was more likely to have chronic MDD, poorer past social functioning, and an increased hazard of MDD onset compared to the adulthood onset group. Findings suggest that patients with an onset of SAD in childhood or adolescence may be particularly at risk for a more severe and chronic course of depressive illness.

Language: en