After the acute phase treatment , as long as the drug was continued , the superiority of the combination over either monotherapy appeared to persist .
BACKGROUND Panic disorder can be treated with pharmacotherapy , psychotherapy or in combination , but the relative merits of combined therapy have not been well established .
OBJECTIVES To review evidence concerning short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages of combined psychotherapy plus antidepressant treatment for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia , in comparison with either therapy alone .
Two-year follow-up of exposure and imipramine treatment of agoraphobia.
Sixty-two agoraphobic patient who had completed a controlled study of therapist-assisted in vivo exposure ( flooding ) and imipramine were assessed 1 month , 6 months , 1 year , and 2 years later . Overall , improvement during treatment was maintained throughout follow-up . At 1 month but not subsequently , imipramine and flooding had significant effects on central measures of agoraphobia . Patients who were marked treatment responders had a favorable clinical course and did not experience secondary depression , unlike patients who had not responded markedly to treatment . These findings suggest that treatments which evoke maximum therapeutic benefit initially are likely to foster long-term maintenance and reduce subsequent depressive sequelae
After the acute phase treatment , as long as the drug was continued , the superiority of the combination over either monotherapy appeared to persist .
BACKGROUND Panic disorder can be treated with pharmacotherapy , psychotherapy or in combination , but the relative merits of combined therapy have not been well established .
OBJECTIVES To review evidence concerning short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages of combined psychotherapy plus antidepressant treatment for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia , in comparison with either therapy alone .