title: The phenomenology of the first panic attack in clinical and community-based samples.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to contrast first panic attacks (PAs) of patients with panic disorder (PD) with vs. without agoraphobia and to explore differences between first PAs leading to the development of PD and those that remain isolated. Data were drawn from a community survey (N=2259 including 88 isolated PAs and 75 PD cases). An additional sample of 234 PD patients was recruited in a clinical setting. A standardized interview assessed the symptoms of the first PA, context of its occurrence and subsequent coping attempts. Persons who developed PD reported more severe first PAs, more medical service utilization and exposure-limiting coping attempts than those with isolated PAs. The context of the first PA did not differ between PD and isolated PAs. PD with agoraphobia was specifically associated with greater symptom severity and occurrence of first attacks in public. Future research should validate these findings using a longitudinal approach.
authors: Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. Electronic address: christiane.pane-farre@uni-greifswald.de.
authors: Christiane A
authors: CA
authors: Pané-Farré
authors: Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Jan P
authors: JP
authors: Stender
authors: Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Kristin
authors: K
authors: Fenske
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Deckert
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Reif
authors: Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Ulrich
authors: U
authors: John
authors: Institute of Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Carsten Oliver
authors: CO
authors: Schmidt
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Schulz
authors: Christoph-Dornier-Stiftung for Clinical Psychology, Institute Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Lang
authors: Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology, School of Social Sciences and Otto-Selz-Institute, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
authors: Georg W
authors: GW
authors: Alpers
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors: Tilo
authors: T
authors: Kircher
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors: Anna N
authors: AN
authors: Vossbeck-Elsebusch
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; HELIOS Hospital Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany.
authors: Hans J
authors: HJ
authors: Grabe
authors: Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Alfons O
authors: AO
authors: Hamm
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Agoraphobia; Context; Coping; First panic attack; Panic attack; Panic disorder; Symptoms