The review established the paucity of high quality evidence investigating the efficacy of psychotherapy combined with benzodiazepines for panic disorder .
Currently , there is inadequate evidence to assess the clinical effects of psychotherapy combined with benzodiazepines for patients who are diagnosed with panic disorder
BACKGROUND The efficacy of combining psychotherapy and benzodiazepines for panic disorder is unclear , despite widespread use .
OBJECTIVES To examine the efficacy of the combination compared with either treatment alone .
Brief cognitive therapy for panic disorder: a randomized controlled trial.
Cognitive therapy ( CT ) is a specific and highly effective treatment for panic disorder ( PD ) . Treatment normally involves 12 - 15 1-hr sessions . In an attempt to produce a more cost-effective version , a briefer treatment that made extensive use of between-sessions patient self- study modules was created . Forty-three PD patients were r and omly allocated to full CT ( FCT ) , brief CT ( BCT ) , or a 3-month wait list . FCT and BCT were superior to wait list on all measures , and the gains obtained in treatment were maintained at 12-month follow-up . There were no significant differences between FCT and BCT . Both treatments had large ( approximately 3.0 ) and essentially identical effect sizes . BCT required 6.5 hr of therapist time , including booster sessions . Patients ' initial expectation of therapy success was negatively correlated with posttreatment panic-anxiety . Cognitive measures at the end of treatment predicted panic-anxiety at 12-month follow-up
The review established the paucity of high quality evidence investigating the efficacy of psychotherapy combined with benzodiazepines for panic disorder .
Currently , there is inadequate evidence to assess the clinical effects of psychotherapy combined with benzodiazepines for patients who are diagnosed with panic disorder
BACKGROUND The efficacy of combining psychotherapy and benzodiazepines for panic disorder is unclear , despite widespread use .
OBJECTIVES To examine the efficacy of the combination compared with either treatment alone .