Major depression in patients with social phobia

The authors examined the longitudinal course of affective illness retrospectively in 63 patients with social phobia and 54 patients with panic disorder. Significantly fewer (35%) of the patients with social phobia than patients with panic disorder (63%) had experienced at least one major depressive episode. Patients with generalized social phobia and patients with specific social phobia had comparable past rates of major depression (37% and 30%, respectively). The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed within the context of current concepts regarding the development of depressive symptoms in patients with anxiety disorders.