Preschool anxiety disorders in pediatric primary care: prevalence and comorbidity.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
OBJECTIVE: We sought to establish prevalence rates and detail patterns of comorbidity for generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and social phobia in preschool-aged children. METHOD: The Duke Preschool Anxiety Study, a screen-stratified, cross-sectional study, drew from pediatric primary care and oversampled for children at risk for anxiety. A total of 917 parents of preschool children (aged 2-5 years) completed the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment. RESULTS: Generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and social phobia are common in preschool-aged children attending pediatric primary care. Three-fourths of preschoolers with an anxiety disorder only had a single anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder displayed the greatest degree of comorbidity: with separation anxiety disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1, 95% CI = 2.0-8.5), social phobia (OR = 6.4, 95% CI = 3.1-13.4), disruptive behavior disorders (OR = 5.1, 95% CI = 1.6-15.8), and depression (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.1-12.4). CONCLUSIONS: The weakness of association between generalized anxiety disorder and depression stands in contrast to substantial associations between these 2 disorders reported in older individuals. Attenuated associations in preschool-aged children could translate into clinical opportunities for targeted early interventions, aimed at modifying the developmental trajectory of anxiety disorders.
Full Text
Duke Authors
- Angold, Adrian Christopher
- Copeland, William Everett
- Costello, Elizabeth Jane
- Egger, Helen Link
- Franz, Lauren
Cited Authors
- Franz, L; Angold, A; Copeland, W; Costello, EJ; Towe-Goodman, N; Egger, H
Published Date
- December 2013
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 52 / 12
Start / End Page
- 1294 - 1303.e1
PubMed ID
- 24290462
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC3896976
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1527-5418
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.09.008
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States