Health-seeking behavior, alternative medicine, and quality of life in Taiwanese panic disorder patients.
OBJECTIVE
Panic disorder (PD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by spontaneous and unexpected panic attacks of varying frequency. Clinically manifest PD is widespread among the general population in developed countries worldwide. This study is aimed to identify factors influencing Taiwanese patients' decision to seek psychiatric help and to assess relationships between patients' health-seeking behaviors and quality of life (QOL).


METHODS
One hundred patients from the outpatient psychiatric clinic of a university hospital in Taiwan were evaluated for PD.


RESULTS
Delayed diagnosis of panic disorder, high comorbidity with other mental and physical disorders, and high utilization of health care services were identified. Thirty-three percent of PD patients sought alternative therapies, delaying their seeking psychiatric care.


CONCLUSIONS
More PD patients in Taiwan seek care from family practitioners and alternative and complementary medicine than from psychiatrists. Taiwanese patients with PD who seek psychiatric consultation more than one year after disease onset have lower QOL and lower physical health scores.
Department of Nursing, Hsinchu Cathay General Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Miao-Tzu
MT
Chen
Chung-Yi
CY
Li
Herng-Ching
HC
Lin
Winston W
WW
Shen
Pi-Ching
PC
Hsieh
Chu-Chieh
CC
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan