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Report of a Pilot Study

Emily L. Harris, PhD; Russell Noyes, Jr, MD; Raymond R. Crowe, MD; Dewat R. Chaudhry, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1983;40(10):1061-1064.

Abstract
• A family study of agoraphobia (n = 20), panic disorder (n = 20), and nonanxious controls (n = 20) showed the morbidity risk for all anxiety disorders to be 32% among firstdegree relatives of agoraphobics, 33% among relatives of patients with panic disorder and 15% among relatives of controls. Relatives of agoraphobics were also shown to be at higher risk for alcohol disorders. Female relatives were found to be at greater risk for anxiety disorders, reflecting their increased susceptibility to these illnesses, and male relatives were at greater risk for alcohol disorders. The increased risk for anxiety disorders in the relatives of agoraphobics was not specific for agoraphobia but included panic disorder and other phobias as well. The findings indicate that agoraphobia is a familial disorder and that family data may help to determine whether agoraphobia is separate from other anxiety and phobic disorders.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City (Drs Harris, Noyes, and Crowe), and the Mental Health Center of Rock Island and Mercer Counties, Rock Island, Ill (Dr Chaudhry). Dr Harris is now with the University of Pittsburgh.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication July 25, 1982.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, 500 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA 52242 (Dr Noyes).

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