title: Are panic attacks traumatic stressors?
abstract: Like typical stressors that produce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks are sudden, unpredictable, and often perceived as life-threatening. Structured interviews with 30 subjects with panic disorder revealed that five (17%) and two (7%) met lifetime and current DSM-III-R PTSD criteria, respectively, following their most terrifying panic attack. PTSD produced by panic is less severe than PTSD produced by either rape or combat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Lukach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology