Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of the total sample (healthy controls and participants with different anxiety disorders, n = 1602)

Sociodemographics

 Age (mean, SD)

41.1 (14.6)

37.3 (11.9)

40.1 (12.5)

38.3 (11.1)

37.4 (12.0)

40.8 (11.7)

.001

 Sex (% female)

61.7

64.9

74.4

59.5

69.1

68.5

.05

 Education (mean, SD)

12.8 (3.2)

12.6 (3.2)

12.1 (3.4)

12.4 (3.1)

12.4 (3.1)

11.3 (3.3)

<.001

 Partner status (% yes)

75.0

56.5

70.0

73.8

70.0

63.8

<.001

Clinical psychiatric characteristics

 Number of somatic illnesses (mean, SD)

0.7 (1.0)

0.8 (0.9)

0.9 (1.0)

0.7 (0.8)

0.7 (0.9)

1.1 (1.2)

<.001

 Comorbid depressive disorder (%)

0

41.9

38.7

40.5

62.7

72.5

<.001

Psychiatric course trajectories (%)

<.001

 Remission

-

72.3

87.1

81.2

91.1

51.1

 Recurrence

-

10.8

4.3

14.1

7.6

13.8

 Chronic course

-

16.9

8.6

4.7

1.3

35.1

Psychiatric status after 4 years (%)

<.001

 No anxiety disorder

-

64.9

68.6

65.6

79.7

51.1

 Social anxiety disorder

-

20.9

2.9

3.1

7.6

16.8

 Panic disorder with agoraphobia

-

0

8.6

4.7

0

6.3

 Panic disorder without agoraphobia

-

2.0

8.6

12.5

3.8

6.3

 Generalized anxiety disorder

-

4.1

5.7

1.6

8.9

7.2

 Multiple anxiety disorder

-

8.1

5.7

12.5

0

12.3

Symptom dimensions

 Anxiety arousal (BAI, mean, SD)

4.1 (4.9)

13.9 (9.1)

19.1 (11.6)

14.2 (8.9)

14.6 (8.2)

23.1 (11.1)

<.001

 Avoidance behaviour (Fear Q, mean, SD)

12.1 (12.2)

34.4 (18.8)

32.1 (19.0)

22.8 (18.1)

25.0 (16.3)

43.7 (20.6)

<.001