CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT OF WOMEN HAVING PANIC DISORDER WITH AGORAPHOBIA

This study characterizes the childhood environment of adult women havi ng panic disorder with agoraphobia, with particular emphasis placed on parental rearing practices, family conflict resolution, experiences o f sexual mistreatment, problematic childhood indicators, and childhood separation experiences. The retrospective research design included at titudinal and behavioral indicators for 80 female patients diagnosed w ith panic disorder with agoraphobia, and a control group of 100 female volunteers with no history of psychiatric illness. Study findings did not support evidence of parental overprotection, parental death, divo rce, or sexual mistreatment as risk factors. Results did suggest the s ignificance of childhood separation anxiety, a conflicted family envir onment, lack of parental warmth and support, and the presence of chron ic physical illness and substance abuse in the childhood home of patie nts, as well as more emotional, family, alcohol, and school problems a s children and adolescents.