[Characteristics of gender differences in patients with panic disorder].

The individual gender type was assessed using the Bem sex role inventory. Seventy patients with panic disorders (PD) and 50 healthy people (controls) were studied. There was a few patients with masculine features (4.3%) compared to the control group (22%). The correlations between a small number of masculine characteristics (less than 10 traits), the development of agoraphobia in PD, the progressive course of PD with the poor response to treatment and marked social maladaptation were found. It has been concluded that the insufficient masculinization is a personality feature of PD patients predisposing to avoidant behavior.