title: Booster Sessions after Cognitive-Behavioural Group Therapy for Panic Disorder: Impact on Resilience, Coping, and Quality of Life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Panic disorder (PD) has a chronic nature, especially as a result of maladaptive coping strategies to deal with stressful events.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of booster sessions with cognitive techniques on coping strategies, resilience, and quality of life (QoL) in patients previously submitted to standard cognitive-behavioural group therapy (CBGT) for PD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled clinical trial with 44 patients with PD (intervention = 20; control = 24) who had previously completed a 12-week CBGT protocol. PD, anxiety, and depression severity symptoms were assessed at baseline and 1, 6, and 12 months after the booster sessions. Coping strategies, resilience, and QoL were assessed by Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI), Resilience Scale, and WHOQOL-BREF respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over time, a significant improvement in PD and depression symptoms was observed in both groups. A significant increase in the QoL social relations domain was found in the booster group, considering a time/group interaction. Coping and other QoL domains did not change after the booster sessions. Changes in resilience were dependent on the intensity of symptoms, with negative but non-significant correlations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The improvement in PD and depression symptoms for both groups may be a result of the group format of the intervention. Group booster sessions after CBGT are useful to maintain the benefits obtained with CBGT.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wesner
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Braga
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Detzel
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciano S P
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heldt
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Panic disorder; cognitive-behavioural therapy; coping; quality of life; resilience