DESCRIPTION OF ANTIPANIC THERAPY IN A PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

The authors present a summary scale for assessing the percentage of pa tients in a large longitudinal study of panic disorder who received pr oven effective psychopharmacologic treatment. Such a scale provides a means for assessing and comparing somatic treatments of panic disorder across medication classes. The antipanic therapy levels were applied to data on medication treatment received by 492 patients participating in a naturalistic study and reflect psychopharmacologic treatment pre scribed in 11 academic centers. Results show that among patients treat ed by psychiatrists at major teaching hospitals only 54% of the most s ymptomatic groups received optimal pharmacologic treatment. Among less symptomatic patients, who nonetheless met full criteria for panic dis order with or without agoraphobia, only 43% received maximal therapy.