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Measurement of panic disorder by a modified panic diary
E de Beurs1, D L Chambless, A J Goldstein
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Depression and Anxiety
|January 1, 1997
Summary
New panic diary measures assessing fear, expectancy, and aversiveness of panic attacks in panic disorder patients were found to be reliable and valid. These enhanced assessments improve the overall evaluation of panic disorder.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Panic disorder with agoraphobia is a significant mental health condition.
- Accurate assessment of panic disorder is crucial for effective treatment.
- Previous assessment methods may not fully capture the nuances of panic experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychometric properties of novel panic diary measures.
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of assessing panic attack occurrence, fear, expectancy, and aversiveness.
- To determine if these enhanced measures improve panic disorder assessment.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 37 patients diagnosed with panic disorder with agoraphobia participated.
- Daily diary ratings included panic attack occurrence, fear of panic, expectancy of panic, and expected aversiveness.
- Psychometric analyses were conducted to assess reliability and validity (convergent and divergent).
Main Results:
- The new panic diary measures demonstrated good reliability.
- These measures showed good divergent and convergent validity.
- Inclusion of these measures enhanced the incremental validity of panic disorder assessment.
Conclusions:
- Daily assessment of fear, expectancy, and aversiveness of panic is reliable and valid.
- These enhanced measures contribute to a more comprehensive evaluation of panic disorder.
- The findings support the integration of these detailed measures into clinical practice for panic disorder.