To determine the frequency of panic disorders and social phobia in teenage pregnancy presenting in a tertiary hospital in Pakistan

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a high risk pregnancy. It is associated with a wide range of subsequent adverse health and social outcomes i.e. anxiety disorders (social phobia and panic disorders). Aim: To determine the frequency of panic disorders and social phobia in teenage pregnancies presenting in the antenatal clinic of a tertiary hospital in Lahore Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in six months, involving 150 pregnant teenagers in the 13-19 years range. Each subject was interviewed in a comfortable setting ensuring privacy and confidentiality and assessed for panic disorders & social phobia, according to ICD-10 criteria. Results: Frequency of social phobia in patients with teenage pregnancy was evaluated which was found to be 14% (n=129), while the frequency of panic disorder in patients with teenage pregnancy was recorded in 15.33% (n=23). Conclusion: The frequency of anxiety disorders (social phobia and panic disorders) is high among patients with teenage pregnancy. So, it is recommended that every patient who presents with teenage pregnancy should be sorted out for anxiety disorders. However, it is also required that every setup should have their surveillance in order to know the frequency of the problem.