Faculty Articles
Interventions for Panic Disorder: A Critical Review of the Literature
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Clinical Psychology Review
ISSN
0272-7358
Publication Date
3-18-1993
Abstract
Initial etiological theories of panic were largely grounded in a biological framework due to the seemingly spontaneous nature of most attacks. More recently, however, cognitive, hyperventilatory, and conditioning theories of panic have been proposed. Cognitive theorists emphasize the causal role of catastrophic misattributions of benign somatic cues in panic; therefore, treatment involves providing the client with corrective information. Proponents of the hyperventilatory theory of panic implicate inappropriately increased ventilation; consequently, interventions emphasize breathing retraining. Finally, conditioning theorists hold that initial attacks are caused by hyperventilation or some other discrete event and that contiguous interoceptive stimuli become conditioned elicitors of future panics; as a result, treatment consists of exposure to the interoceptive cues which trigger panic. Combinations of treatments address possible multiple causal pathways and have been found to be relatively more effective than interventions based on only one etiological perspective.
DOI
10.1016/0272-7358(93)90046-O
Volume
13
Issue
6
First Page
561
Last Page
578
NSUWorks Citation
Acierno, R. E.,
Hersen, M.,
Van Hasselt, V. B.
(1993). Interventions for Panic Disorder: A Critical Review of the Literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 13(6), 561-578.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/267