Syndrome profiles in alcoholism and panic disorder with or without agoraphobia

It is proposed that alcoholism and panic disorder/agoraphobia demonstrate in part common genetic and environmental origins. Shared subthreshold symptom patterns in the parents' generation could confirm the proposed genetic role in alcoholism and panic disorder/agoraphobia, even if the parents do not fulfil the diagnostic criteria for a primary psychiatric diagnosis. This is the first family study of exploratively analyzing subthreshold symptoms in both disorders. The authors investigated families with panic disorder/agoraphobia and/or alcoholism with the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). We documented the diagnoses according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual o…