Jin Shin, Doo-Heum Park, Seung-Ho Ryu, Jee Hyun Ha, Seol Min Kim, Hong Jun Jeon
Medicine 2020 Jul 24Agoraphobia is frequently accompanied by panic disorder and causes considerable suffering. The aim of this study was to compare clinical features and treatment courses between patients with and without agoraphobia in panic disorder.In this retrospective study, 87 patients with panic disorder were divided into two groups depending on the presence of agoraphobia: patients with agoraphobia (PDA, nā=ā41) and patients without agoraphobia (PD, nā=ā46). Agoraphobia subscale score of the Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire was used to identify correlations between agoraphobia and panic and affective symptoms.The PDA group showed more severe panic and affective symptoms than the PD group. Patients with PDA were more likely to be younger at the age of onset, take benzodiazepines for longer durations, and be treated with antipsychotics augmentation. Agoraphobia subscale was associated with panic symptoms, depression, anxiety, and the duration of benzodiazepines use.The findings suggest that patients with PDA experienced more severe panic symptoms, more profound psychiatric comorbidity, and worse illness progression than those with PD.
Jin Shin, Doo-Heum Park, Seung-Ho Ryu, Jee Hyun Ha, Seol Min Kim, Hong Jun Jeon. Clinical implications of agoraphobia in patients with panic disorder. Medicine. 2020 Jul 24;99(30):e21414
PMID: 32791758
View Full Text