Panic control treatment for agoraphobia.

The goal of the present study was to compare the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment for panic control alone versus this treatment containing an additional in vivo exposure component. The sample was comprised of 68 individuals who met diagnosis for panic disorder with agoraphobia. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two 16-week treatment conditions, panic control only and panic control with in vivo exposure. Assessments were repeated at baseline, mid-treatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up using diagnostic and behavioral measures. Results indicated that the two treatment conditions were equally efficacious for both panic disorder and agoraphobia. The intervention explicitly targeting agoraphobia appeared superfluous given the efficacy of panic control alone. On the other hand, reduction in panic frequency predicted reduction in agoraphobic avoidance overall. The practical and theoretical implications are discussed, as are limitations and directions for future research.