DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES TO STRESS IN PANIC DISORDERS

The authors study a sample of 27 subjects that fulfill the diagnostic criteria for Distress Disorder with Panic Attacks DSM-IV. They apply s ome stress and anxiety scales as Holmes and Rahe Self-applied Extraord inary Stressful Events Scale, the Hamilton's Heleroapplied Anxiety Sca le, the Sheehan's Self-applied Anxiety Scale and the Zung's Self-appli ed Anxiety Scale. It appears the differential effects that the stress situations were provoking in men and women. The latter being the least affected by events such as health/disease, arguments with a partner o r changes in essential or sociolabour conditions. Whereas for men the highest experience of stressful situations is mostly centered upon cha nges in the environmental, socio-labour or emotional aspects. Once the pathology is stablished, the symptomatic level is not affected by gre ater/smaller prior stressful situations.