European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PANIC DISORDER AMONG PATIENTS WITH JOINT HYPERMOBILITY SYNDROME

*Dr. Mahdi Abdulkarim Abdulhussain

ABSTRACT

Panic disorder (P.D) is a common, chronic illness characterized by recurrent attacks of severe anxiety which are not restricted to any particular situation or set of circumstances and therefore unpredictable. Joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) in an inherited connective tissue disorder characterized by increased distensibility of joint in passive movements and hypermobility in active movements. This study aims to measure the extent of association between panic disorder and JHS amongst a cohort of Iraqi patients. Fifty patients diagnosed as JHS cases according to Beighton’s criteria by a rheumatologist, were collected from the rheumatic outpatient clinic of Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Those patients were screened by a DSM IV-based semistructural interview to detect panic disorder among them. The findings were compared with a control group of another (50) rheumatic patients who do not fulfill criteria of JHS. The results showed that the rate of panic disorder among patients with JHS is (32%) while in control sample is (8%). Also rate of panic disorder with agoraphobia found to be higher than control group (22%), (2%) respectively. Both the above results are statistically significant. The association of panic disorder with JHS is studied in relation to sociodemographic variables such sex, age, marital status, occupation and the results revealed that P.D is higher in females than in males, in younger age group, in unmarried than in married, in urban more than rural and more in house wives. But these results are non-significant statistically.

Keywords: Panic disorder; patients; hypermobility Syndrome.