Prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders in schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic and treatment hierarchical reductionisms have resulted in an oversight of anxiety syndromes in schizophrenia. AIM: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of different anxiety disorders in schizophrenia patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on inpatients of a tertiary care psychiatric hospital using a prospective, purposive sampling technique. The study consisted of 93 schizophrenia patients and a similar number of normal controls. The schizophrenia patients and controls were evaluated for psychopathology and the presence of anxiety disorder. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety disorder was significantly higher in schizophrenia patients (45.16%) compared to controls (16.12%). Further, the prevalence of panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was significantly higher in schizophrenia patients. No significant correlation was observed between anxiety disorder scores and psychopathology scores. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders (panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and OCD) in schizophrenia is significantly higher in the general population. The onset of anxiety disorder commonly precedes the onset of schizophrenia.