Fluctuation of symptoms and social functioning in panic disorder with or without concomitant depression. A 5-year prospective follow-up.

After controlled treatment with either imipramine or doxepin with additional psychotherapy, 30 patients with pure panic disorder and 20 with concomitant depression were followed under ordinary treatment conditions over a 5-year period. While the overall level of illness severity was mild in both groups (slightly worse in the group with comorbidity), social impairment as well as fluctuation of symptoms were similar in both groups. Therefore, comorbidity of panic disorder and depression does not necessarily imply a poorer outcome in a self-referred patient sample initially treated with psychotropic drugs combined with supportive psychotherapy.