COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT COMPARED WITH NONPRESCRIPTIVE TREATMENT OF PANIC DISORDER

Background: The efficacy of cognitive behavioral treatment for panic d isorder has been established in controlled studies. However, little is known about the efficacy of other psychological treatments. We report the results of a study comparing cognitive behavioral treatment with a focused nonprescriptive treatment for panic. Methods: Three sessions of panic-related information were provided in each treatment, followe d by 12 sessions of either nonprescriptive, reflective listening (nonp rescriptive treatment) or a treatment package that included breathing retraining, muscle relaxation, cognitive reframing, and exposure to in teroceptive and agoraphobic stimuli (cognitive behavioral treatment). Results: Posttreatment and B-month follow-up assessments revealed a go od response to both treatments. We observed a high rate of panic remis sion and significant improvement in associated symptoms in subjects in each treatment group. Conclusion: These findings raise questions abou t the specificity of cognitive behavioral treatment.