title: Quality of life and treatment outcome in panic disorder: cognitive behavior group therapy effects in patients refractory to medication treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Improvements in quality of life (QoL) as well as symptomatic relief are important outcomes for the treatment of panic disorder (PD). The aim of this study is to assess the impact of brief cognitive behavior group therapy (CBGT) for panic disorder on QoL and to identify the clinical features associated with these changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients with PD refractory to pharmacological treatment took part in a treatment protocol consisting of 12 sessions of CBGT. To evaluate the changes in QoL, the WHOQOL-bref was administered before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two patients completed the treatment. Significant improvement in all domains of QoL was observed (p< 0.001), which was associated with reductions in general and anticipatory anxiety (p = 0.018) and agoraphobic avoidance (p = 0.046). Consistent with previous findings, associations between QoL and panic-free status did not reach significance in this small study (p = 0.094).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CBGT was efficacious in the treatment of PD; the symptoms of anticipatory anxiety and avoidance appear to be more important than episodic panic episodes in affecting QoL.
authors.affiliation: Program of Anxiety Disorders, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heldt
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blaya
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Isolan
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kipper
authors.forename: Betina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teruchkin
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: Gisele G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Manfro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome