Differential Diagnosis and Drug Treatment of Panic Disorder, Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

Depression and anxiety disorders are under-recognised in clinical practice. They are relatively common psychiatric disorders, affecting 2 to 5% of the population per year. Symptoms of depression and anxiety frequently co-exist in a given patient. Recent diagnostic criteria allow a differential diagnosis to be made based on the history of the symptomatology in the current psychiatric episode. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R), although not the only diagnostic scheme available, has become widely used, particularly for the diagnosis of anxiety states. Despite the relatively clear-cut diagnostic criteria of the DSM-III-R, the problem of comorbidity of diagnose..