PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS OF PANIC DISORDER WITHOUT AGORAPHOBIA - COGNITIVE THERAPY VERSUS APPLIED RELAXATION

This study compared two psychological treatments of panic disorder and tested whether cognitive therapy (CT) was superior to applied relaxat ion (AR); and whether treatment was superior to waiting. Thirty-six ou tpatients of the community mental health center with the DSM-III-R dia gnosis of panic disorder with no or mild agoraphobia were randomly ass igned to CT or AR. Eighteen similar patients who were referred after t he treatment conditions were complete constituted a waiting-list group . Treatment consisted of 12 weekly sessions. Patients self-monitored p anic attacks during the whole treatment period, and the following 4 we eks, and during 1 week at a half-year follow-up. Questionnaires were f illed out before and after treatment, and at 4-week and half-year foll ow-ups. After the first follow-up additional treatment was provided if clinically indicated. One patient dropped out of AR and was replaced. Treatment was superior to waiting in reducing panic and questionnaire scores. CT was clearly superior to AR in reducing panic frequency, an d somewhat less strongly superior to AR in reducing the questionnaire scores. Depending on the assessment point, 77.8-83.3% of the CT patien ts was panic-free after treatment, compared to 50% of the AR and 27.7% of the waiting-list patients. In conclusion, cognitive therapy for pa nic is especially effective in reducing the incidence of panic attacks .