title: Pre-treatment predictors of treatment outcome in panic disorder and agoraphobia treated with alprazolam and exposure.
abstract: Pre-treatment predictors of treatment outcome were examined in a group of 144 patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia randomly allocated to alprazolam+exposure (AE), placebo+exposure (PE), alprazolam+relaxation (AR), and placebo+relaxation (PR). First-time psychotropic medication use, severity of agoraphobic disability, and longer duration of illness predicted less global improvement at post-treatment. Pre-treatment severity of agoraphobia predicted less improvement both in the short- and the long-term. Predictors of poorer outcome at 6-month follow-up were older age, past history of depression, severity of phobia targets, and longer duration of illness. Sex, source of referral, pre-treatment depression-anxiety-panic, and expectancy from treatment did not relate to outcome.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Başoğlu
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Swinson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noshirvani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D000525:Alprazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D011594:Psychometrics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000525:Alprazolam