Manualized single-session behavior treatment with self-help manual for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia.

Objective

We examined the clinical feasibility and utility of a single behavior treatment session, with 11 patients with Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia (PD+/-AG). Patients used an individualized, exposure based, homework manual, derived from their behavioral analysis. Treatment was implemented in an outpatient behavior treatment unit. Method: Patients presented with moderate to severe anxiety, avoidance behavior, functional impairment and depressive symptoms. Treatment was evaluated with a double-baseline case series/pre-post design with four follow-ups.

Results

There was a significant and steady improvement in all self-rated outcome measures and participants were satisfied with the services provided. Nine out of 11 patients (82%) were free of PD+/-AG at 3 months and all patients at 1-year follow-up. The absence of a control group, the small sample and lack of blind assessments, limit the validity of the study.

Conclusions

These case studies provide empirical evidence in support of both the feasibility and utility of a single-session behavior treatment (SSBT) plus self-help implemented in a public mental health unit. Further research with a control group is needed to assess the efficacy of the intervention in routine clinical practice.