[Relationship of psychiatric comorbidity and treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia].

INTRODUCTION

Besides numerous studies that examined various aspects of comorbidity in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia and numerous studies that examined efficacy of different treatment modalities in these patients, there was no study that examined relationship of overall psychiatric comorbidity and treatment of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to establish the effect of psychiatric comorbidity on treatment efficiency of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.

METHOD

The sample of the study consisted of 119 patients with primary diagnosis of panic disorder and agoraphobia. The therapy of patients was based on the use of individual integrative model of treatment, which incorporated psycho-pharmaceuticals (benzodiazepines and antidepressants) and cognitive-behavior therapy. Symptom severity was estimated by Panic and Agoraphobia Scale before and after the completion of treatment. Patients with comorbidity and patients without any comorbidity were compared by MANOVA and ANOVA with repeated measures.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that 91% of patients met diagnostic criteria of comorbid psychiatric disorder and these patients had more severe clinical picture than patients without any comorbid disorder before the treatment. The results also showed that, after the completion of treatment, there was a significant reduction of all analyzed symptoms, that the effects of treatment were significantly better in patients with psychiatric comorbidity and that comorbid psychiatric disorders had no negative effect on the main goals of the treatment.

CONCLUSION

Based on these results, it may be concluded that: in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia and comorbid psychiatric disorders, the pharmacotherapy must be based on simultaneous use of antidepressants and benzodiazepines, while standard cognitive-behavior therapy of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia must be modified in case of the existing comorbid psychiatric disorders.