Hostility and irritable mood in panic disorder with agoraphobia

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Panic disorder with agoraphobia is a debilitating condition.
• Patients often exhibit heightened irritability and hostility.
• The relationship between these mood states and the disorder requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of behavioral treatment on hostility and irritability in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia.
• To determine if hostility and irritability are core symptoms of panic disorder with agoraphobia.

Main Methods:

• Twenty patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia underwent behavioral treatment.
• Hostility and irritability were assessed using validated questionnaires (Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire, Paykel's Clinical Interview for Depression, Kellner's Anxiety Rating Scale) before and after treatment.
• A matched control group of healthy subjects was assessed at similar intervals.

Main Results:

• Following behavioral treatment, patients showed significant decreases in hostility and irritable mood.
• Friendliness scores increased in the patient group post-treatment.
• No significant differences in hostility were observed between recovered patients and control subjects, unlike during the illness phase.

Conclusions:

• Increased hostility and irritable mood appear to be associated with active panic disorder with agoraphobia.
• Behavioral treatment of agoraphobia leads to improvements in these mood symptoms.
• These findings suggest that hostility and irritability may be treatable symptoms within panic disorder with agoraphobia.