Effectiveness of brief cognitive behavior therapy on symptoms severity in relation to social avoidance among patients with panic disorder: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background. Panic disorder is a debilitating condition characterized by severe symptoms and social avoidance. Due to insufficient knowledge, this study examined the effectiveness of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on symptom severity and social avoidance in patients with panic disorder. Patients and Methods. In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), 44 patients were included in the Brief CBT group or the control group after addressing issues related to lost-to-follow-up. Panic disorder symptom severity (PDSS) and the work and social adjustment scale (WSAS) were used to assess symptom severity and social adjustment, respectively. Results. After one month of treatment, the total PDSS scores (1.79 vs. 4.47; P=0.0409) and WSAS scores (2.97 vs. 7.41; P=0.0015) in the brief CBT group were significantly lower compared to the control group. The study revealed that in the brief CBT group, the mean score of PDSS and WSAS significantly decreased from 21.53 to 1.79 (P<0.0001) and from 24.63 to 2.95 (P<0.0001), and in the control group from 19.59 to 4.47 (P<0.0001) in PDSS and from 22.18 to 7.41 (P<0.0001) in WSAS, respectively. Furthermore, the change in WSAS scores in the brief CBT group was independent of the decrease in PDSS. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that the application of brief CBT is an effective technique for reducing symptom severity and social avoidance in patients with panic disorder.