The exact cause of panic disorder is unknown, but it is associated with many different factors. Panic disorder can occur with or without agoraphobia, but agoraphobia develops in more than a third of cases. The development of agoraphobia may involve learned behavior, because it reflects a fear of experiencing panic attacks in unprotected settings. Sometimes, panic attacks are associated with the areas where they have happened in the past. Panic disorder can occur in children, but the average age of onset is 25 years old. Panic disorder affects middle-aged and older adults as well. Studies have shown that women are 2 to 3 times more likely to be affected.
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