Current views on panic disorder and its management in Japan: a national survey

In a national random-sample survey, the views of 1,069 practicing clinicians, including internists, surgeons and psychiatrists, on panic disorder were surveyed by using a series of questionnaires. In spite of a high rate of clinical experience and agreements on the symptoms among clinicians, the nature of this disorder, such as a common descriptive diagnosis, and the preferred treatment have not been agreed upon by the Japanese medical community. Furthermore, respondents were questioned as to the preferred treatment for panic disorder, but no treatment was regarded as critical by a majority of clinicians. It is concluded that because of the high potential patient population with panic disorder, clinical research that will provide more adequate diagnosis and treatment for this disorder is necessary in Japan.