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Abstract: Panic Disorder affects around 3.5% of the population during their lifetime, affecting twice as many women. It is often comorbid with depression and other anxiety disorders. Panic disorder can be assessed by a variety of interviews and self-report questionnaires. The theoretical model underlying CBT explains panic from both a learning perspective as well as a cognitive one. Treatment comprises of both behavioral and cognitive components. Treatment outcome studies show that CBT is an effective, acceptable and cost-effective treatment for Panic Disorder.
Background
Panic attacks are defined by the DSM-IV-TR (1) as discrete periods of intense fear or discomfort in which four or more of the following symptoms are found: palpitations, pounding heart, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, shaking, sensations of shortness of breath or smothering, feeling of choking, chest pain or discomfort, nausea or abdominal distress, feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed or faint, derealization, depersonalization, fear of losing control or going crazy, fear of dying, numbness or tingling, chills or hot flushes. These symptoms occur abruptly and reach a peak within ten minutes. Panic attacks may occur in many anxiety disorders, for instance on exposure to the feared object in specific phobia, the fear-provoking memory in PTSD, or the obsessive thought in OCD, and are not in and of themselves considered an anxiety disorder.
Lifetime prevalence estimates for isolated panic attacks is 22.7% (2). Panic Disorder is defined by DSM-IV as the occurrence of unexpected, recurrent panic attacks, with at least one of the attacks being followed by one month (or more) of either a) persistent concern about having another attack or b) worry about the implications of that attack or its consequences or c) a significant change in behavior related to the attacks (or all three).
Panic disorder may or may not be accompanied by agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is defined as anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape may be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed panic attack or panic symptoms. Typical fears involve situations of being alone, being in crowds, public transportation, theaters, etc. These situations are avoided or endured with distress. Approximately one-third to one-half of patients diagnosed with panic disorder also have...