The effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) versus interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in panic disorder without agoraphobia.

In panic disorder with agoraphobia, CBT is an effective empirical based treatment approach in which exposure in vivo and cognitive therapy are important elements. In panic disorder without agoraphobia the component of exposure may not be as relevant as the cognitive component (van den Hout, Arntz, & Hoestra, 1994). In addition, a nonprescriptive treatment, stressing that panic disorder begins as a reaction to life stress, may have comparable treatment outcomes as CBT in panic disorder (Shear, Pilkonis, Cloitre, & Leon, 1994). IPT is a therapeutic approach emphasizing the role of interpersonal problems in psychiatric conditions. IPT appears to be an efficacious treatment in depressive disorder, and eating disorders. Futhermore, primary panic attacks seem to arise during times of increased interpersonal stress (Craske, Miller, Rotunda, & Barlow, 1990). Therefore, it is very interesting to investigate the effectivty of CBT versus IPT in panic disorder without arogoraphobia.

To asses the effectivity of CBT vs. IPT in panic disorder without agoraphobia.

Patients will receive 12 therapeutic sessions of either CBT or IPT. Once a week a sessions takes place ande one session takes one hour.