CUHK
P R E S S   R E L E A S E


Chinese Version

20 May 2002

Panic Disorder in Hong Kong

        Panic disorder is characterized by the recurrent sudden attacks of physical and emotional anxiety symptoms, phobic avoidance behavior, and impairment of social function.  In order to understand its prevalence, symptom patterns, and help seeking behavior, the Hong Kong Mood Disorders Center of the Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a large-scale telephone survey from April 16 to 25, 2002.  3,004 respondents aged 15 to 60 (1,446 males and 1,558 females) were randomly selected and interviewed.  The results showed that about 4% respondents suffered from panic disorder.  Based on this finding, it is estimated that 120,000 people in the age range of 15-60 suffer from panic disorder but most of them did not receive effective treatment.

        In this survey, panic disorder is defined as the presence of at least 3 somatic and/or emotional symptoms of anxiety attacks in the previous one month, associated with persistent fear of the further attacks, phobic avoidant behavior, and impairment of social function.  133 people (4.4%) were found to fit these diagnostic criteria.  44 (33%) were males and 89 (67%) were females.  The disorder was common among the working population (age range 19-54) regardless of their social class background.  

        Respondents with panic disorder would avoide panic triggering situations such as height (37.1%), flying (34.4%), driving (30.2%), going to cinema (17.8%), taking bus or MTR (12%).  42.2% of them had ever developed suicidal ideas.

        Only 40 percent of sufferers of panic disorder have sought medical consultation.  Of which 49.5% consulted general practitioners, 20% consulted non-psychiatric specialists, and 18% consulted psychiatrists or psychologists.  In order to find out the cause of their disabling symptoms, two-fifth of them conducted various physical examinations such as blood test (27.6%), electroencephalogram(26.4%), X-ray (18.3%), and brain imaging/scanning (9.9%).  Most were still worried about their health even though the results of these investigations were normal.  Regarding health care spending, subjects with panic disorder spent a varying amount of a few hundred to $100,000.

        Panic disorder arises from a combination of neurophysiological and psychosocial  causes.  Substantial research has demonstrated that drug therapy and/or Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) are highly effective for the treatment of panic disorder.  The former consists of Specific Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) that act by regulating serotonin neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.  CBT alters patient's problematic beliefs and avoidance behaviors in the setting of a trusting therapist-client relationship.  In order to improve the treatment of panic and other mood disorders in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Mood Disorders Center has successfully trained 139 private general practitioners and it also provides patients with CBT.