Anxiety disorders in a French general psychiatric outpatient sample. Comparison between DSM-III and DSM-IIIR criteria.

In a general psychiatric outpatient sample (n = 1271) gathered through a cross-national French survey, anxiety and somatoform syndromes were assessed according to DSM-III and DMS-III-revised criteria. Lifetime and one-month prevalence rates in this population are provided and the high level of comorbidity between the anxiety syndromes is noted. The patient symptom profiles for panic syndrome, simple attacks, agoraphobia and generalized anxiety are displayed. The conspicuous consequences of the modifications brought in by the Revision-anticipatory anxiety in panic syndrome, and restricted period criteria for generalized anxiety- are discussed, with the conclusion that more field study assessment is required before further revision.