TY - JOUR
T1 - Differences in latency to first pharmacological treatment (duration of untreated illness) in anxiety disorders
T2 - A study on patients with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder
AU - Dell'Osso, Bernardo
AU - Camuri, Giulia
AU - Benatti, Beatrice
AU - Buoli, Massimiliano
AU - Altamura, A. Carlo
PY - 2013/11
Y1 - 2013/11
N2 - Aim: The latency to first pharmacological treatment (duration of untreated illness or 'DUI') is supposed to play a major role in terms of outcome in psychotic conditions. Interest in the field of affective disorders and, in particular, of duration of untreated anxiety, has been recently registered as well. However, a preliminary epidemiologic investigation of the phenomenon is necessary. The present study was aimed to investigate and compare age at onset, age at first pharmacological treatment and DUI in a sample of patients affected by different anxiety disorders. DUI was defined as the interval between the onset of the specific anxiety disorder and the administration of the first adequate pharmacological treatment in compliant subjects. Methods: Study sample included 350 patients, of both sexes, with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of panic disorder (n=138), generalized anxiety disorder (n=127) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (n=85). Results: Panic disorder was associated with the shortest DUI (39.5 months), whereas obsessive-compulsive disorder was associated with the longest latency to treatment (94.5 months) (F=13.333; P
AB - Aim: The latency to first pharmacological treatment (duration of untreated illness or 'DUI') is supposed to play a major role in terms of outcome in psychotic conditions. Interest in the field of affective disorders and, in particular, of duration of untreated anxiety, has been recently registered as well. However, a preliminary epidemiologic investigation of the phenomenon is necessary. The present study was aimed to investigate and compare age at onset, age at first pharmacological treatment and DUI in a sample of patients affected by different anxiety disorders. DUI was defined as the interval between the onset of the specific anxiety disorder and the administration of the first adequate pharmacological treatment in compliant subjects. Methods: Study sample included 350 patients, of both sexes, with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of panic disorder (n=138), generalized anxiety disorder (n=127) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (n=85). Results: Panic disorder was associated with the shortest DUI (39.5 months), whereas obsessive-compulsive disorder was associated with the longest latency to treatment (94.5 months) (F=13.333; P
KW - Duration of untreated illness
KW - Early intervention
KW - Generalized anxiety disorder
KW - Obsessive-compulsive disorder
KW - Panic disorder
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U2 - 10.1111/eip.12016
DO - 10.1111/eip.12016
M3 - Article
C2 - 23347385
AN - SCOPUS:84886750640
VL - 7
SP - 374
EP - 380
JO - Early Intervention in Psychiatry
JF - Early Intervention in Psychiatry
SN - 1751-7885
IS - 4
ER -