Background:
panic disorder (PD) is a highly prevalent condition. Computer-assisted
psychotherapy with cognitive behavioral approach has been successful for
treating PD, in some cases comparable to face to face CBT. The overall
objective of this thesis is to assess in the Spanish population, the online
self-help program "Free from Anxiety" in people with panic disorder.
Method:
Ninety-five participants were diagnosed with PD through the Mini International
Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). They also completed a battery of instruments
to evaluate the frequency, intensity and severity of the PD, agoraphobic
avoidance, anxiety and symptoms of depression and anxiety sensitivity, through
the instruments: PDSS, BAI, BDI and ASI. Then the subjects were randomized to
one of two groups, one with 49 subjects receiving treatment and another with 46
control subjects on the waiting list.
Results:
Participants who received treatment improved significantly compared with the
waiting list group, in frequency of panic attacks (p <0.05), in the
intensity of attacks (p <0.05) and in severity of agoraphobic avoidance (p
<0.05) as measured by PDSS. Participants in the treatment group also showed
a significant improvement compared to control group in both symptoms of
generalized anxiety (BAI test) (p <0.05) as well as in reducing the fear of
anxiety symptoms, measured with ASI (p <0.05). Furthermore they decreased
symptoms of depression (BDI test) (p <0.05), with a significant difference
compared to the control group.
Conclusion:
We found that online self-help program "Free from Anxiety" was
effective in treating panic. Participants improved significantly in the scales
used, compared to individuals on the waiting list. The results were maintained
six months after the treatment.
