title: In-situation safety behaviors among patients with panic disorder: descriptive and correlational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In-situation safety behaviors play an important role in the maintenance of anxiety because they prevent patients from experiencing unambiguous disconfirmation of their unrealistic beliefs about feared catastrophes. Strategies for identifying particular safety behaviors, however, have not been sufficiently investigated. The aims of the present study were to (i) develop a comprehensive list of safety behaviors seen in panic disorder and to examine their frequency; and (ii) correlate the safety behaviors with panic attack symptoms, agoraphobic situations and treatment response.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects consisted of 46 consecutive patients who participated in group cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for panic disorder. All the patients completed a Safety Behavior List that was developed based on experiences with panic disorder patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carrying medications, distracting attention, carrying a plastic bottle, and drinking water were reported by more than half of the patients. The strongest correlations between panic symptoms and safety behaviors were found between symptoms of derealization and listening to music with headphones, paresthesia and pushing a cart while shopping, and nausea and squatting down. The strongest association between agoraphobic situations and safety behaviors was found between the fear of taking a bus or a train alone and moving around. Staying still predicted response to the CBT program, while concentrating on something predicted lack of response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An approximate guideline has been developed for identifying safety behaviors among patients with panic disorder and should help clinicians use CBT more effectively for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Funayama
authors.forename: Toshi A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Sei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Junwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology; D009325:Nausea / Q000523:psychology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: anxiety disorder; cognitive behavior therapy; panic disorder; psychotherapy; safety behavior