title: Derealization and panic attacks: a clinical evaluation on 150 patients with panic disorder/agoraphobia.
abstract: One hundred fifty patients with Panic Disorder (PD) with or without Phobic Avoidance were subdivided into two groups on the basis of presence/absence of derealization and/or depersonalization (D-D) during panic attacks. D-D was found in 34.7% of the sample. By comparing the two groups, the patients with D-D were found to be younger and had an earlier onset of the disorder; they had a higher prevalence of avoidance behavior and a higher severity of the agoraphobic spectrum phobias. They were also more frequently subject to concomitant disorders such as Generalized Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and depressive symptomatology. The authors have hypothesized a correlation between the presence of D-D during panic attacks and a more frequent clinical evolution toward agoraphobia. This view is supported by finding that D-D in panic attacks corresponds to severer forms of PD, both in terms of the earlier onset of PD, and because PD shows higher levels of anxiety, depression, and disability.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinic II, University of Pisa, Rome.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Cassano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petracca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perugi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tundo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D010200:Panic; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology