Recurrence of anxiety disorders and its predictors in the general population

Abstract

Background Anxiety disorders frequently recur in clinical populations, but the risk of recurrence of anxiety disorders is largely unknown in the general population. In this study, recurrence of anxiety and its predictors were studied in a large cohort of the adult general population. Methods Baseline, 3-year and 6-year follow-up data were derived from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2). Respondents (N = 468) who had been in remission for at least a year prior to baseline were included. Recurrence was assessed at 3 and 6 years after baseline, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0. Cumulative recurrence rates were estimated using the number of years since remission of the last anxiety disorder. Furthermore, Cox regression analyses were conducted to investigate predictors of recurrence, using a broad range of putative predictors. Results The estimated cumulative recurrence rate was 2.1% at 1 year, 6.6% at 5 years, 10.6% at 10 years, and 16.2% at 20 years. Univariate regression analyses predicted a shorter time to recurrence for several variables, of which younger age at interview, parental psychopathology, neuroticism and a current depressive disorder remained significant in the, age and gender-adjusted, multivariable regression analysis. Conclusions Recurrence of anxiety disorders in the general population is common and the risk of recurrence extends over a lengthy period of time. In clinical practice, alertness to recurrence, monitoring of symptoms, and quick access to health care in case of recurrence are needed.

HDAC1-mediated regulation of GABA signaling within the lateral septum facilitates long-lasting social fear extinction in male mice

“…As mentioned earlier, relapse and recurrence of SAD in patients who have undergone complete remission are very high [44][45][46]. Thus, we tested for long-term fear extinction memory following LS-HDAC1 inhibition or LS-GABA-A activation.…”

The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study‐3 (NEMESIS‐3): Objectives, methods and baseline characteristics of the sample

“…The course of mental disorders was examined in NEMESIS in various ways, for example, by studying episode duration, recurrence, chronicity, and remission of disorders (e.g., Scholten et al., 2021; Schopman et al., 2021; Spijker et al., 2002; Ten Have et al., 2017, 2018, 2021; Tuithof et al., 2013). Worldwide, such longitudinal data on disease course from the general population are still scarce, but are needed to inform patients, to facilitate therapists with treatment planning, and to inform policymakers on disease management.…”

The gold-standard treatment for social anxiety disorder: A roadmap for the future

“…Relapse prevention is a predictive marker of efficacy. A recent study shows that 21.8% of SAD patients relapse after achieving successful extinction through Pavlovian ET ( Scholten et al, 2021 ). There is a knowledge gap on the efficacy of classical conditioning in relapse prevention due to a dearth of longitudinal studies.…”