DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria summary
Panic Disorder requires:
- Recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes, with ≥4 of 13 symptoms: palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, choking sensation, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, chills/heat, paresthesias, derealization/depersonalization, fear of losing control, fear of dying.
- At least one attack followed by ≥1 month of:
- Significant maladaptive behavioral change related to attacks (e.g., avoidance of exercise, unfamiliar situations).
- Not better explained by another mental disorder (panic in social situations only would be social anxiety; panic following a trauma cue would be PTSD).
Source: American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), p. 235–242.
Recommended severity scale: PDSS
Validated severity scale Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS)
Score range0–28 (7 items rated 0–4) Cutoff≥7 indicates clinically significant panic disorder DomainsFrequency, distress, anticipatory anxiety, avoidance, impairment VersionsPDSS (clinician), PDSS-SR (self-report)
Co-administer the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 to screen for high-comorbidity generalized anxiety and depression presentations. Routine PHQ-9 administration captures elevated suicide risk that often co-occurs with panic disorder.
Differential diagnosis
- F40.00 / F40.01 Agoraphobia (with Panic Disorder), when agoraphobia symptoms are present, code may shift; both can be co-coded.
- F41.1 Generalized Anxiety Disorder, chronic worry without discrete panic episodes.
- F40.10 Social Anxiety Disorder, panic occurs only in feared social situations (situational, not unexpected).
- F43.10 PTSD, panic-like symptoms triggered by trauma reminders.
- Substance/Medication-Induced, caffeine, stimulants, alcohol/benzodiazepine withdrawal.
- Medical conditions, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, cardiac arrhythmias (mitral valve prolapse, SVT), pulmonary embolism, hypoglycemia. ED workup typically rules these out.
Common comorbidities
Panic Disorder has very high lifetime comorbidity. Common co-occurring conditions: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (F41.1), Major Depressive Disorder (F33, F32), Agoraphobia (F40.00), Substance Use Disorders (F10–F19), and Bipolar Disorders (F31.x). Routinely co-administer PHQ-9, GAD-7, and AUDIT alongside the PDSS.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), F41.0, p. 235–242.
- Shear, M. K., et al. (1997). Multicenter collaborative panic disorder severity scale. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154(11), 1571–1575.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ICD-10-CM Official Coding Guidelines.