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How common is panic disorder?
Panic disorder is common.

About 1 person in 50 gets panic disorder.1 And at any time, about 2.4 million people in the United States have panic disorder.2

Here's what we know about panic disorder.

  • Women are twice as likely to get it as men.3
  • It tends to start in the late teens and early 20s. It's unusual for someone over 45 to be diagnosed with panic disorder for the first time.4
  • It tends to run in families. If one of your parents has panic disorder, your chance of getting it is four to seven times higher than someone whose parents don't have the condition.5
To learn more, see Risk factors for panic disorder.



Sources for the information on this page:
  1. Andrews G, Creamer M, Crino R et al. The treatment of anxiety disorders: clinician guides and patient manuals. 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 2002.
  2. Mental Health America Panic disorder. November 2006. Available at http://www.nmha.org/go/panic-disorder (accessed on 20th June 2007). National Mental Health Association 2001
  3. Weissman MM, Bland MB, Canino GJ, et al The cross-national epidemiology of panic disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry. 1997; 54: 305-309. 9107146
  4. Katerndahl DA. Progression of limited symptom attacks. Depression & Anxiety. 1999; 9:138-140.
  5. American Psychiatric Association. Let's talk facts about panic disorder. November 2006. Available at http://www.healthyminds.org/factsheets/LTF-Panic.pdf (accessed on 11 July 2007). American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV-TR 2000
This information was last updated in Mar 10, 2008