It is not yet clear whether this association applies to individuals with a true diagnosis of panic disorder and, if it does, whether treatment diminishes the risk. Clearly, research about the long-term health risks that may be associated with panic disorder is needed. We have very little scientifically accumulated information about panic disorder in childhood. It has been argued that separation anxiety in childhood is a precursor for panic disorder, but this has not been systematically substantiated. The epidemiology of panic disorder in childhood has not been well studied, nor has the optimal therapeutic approach been established.
Treatments are highly successful when measured in terms of the rate of panic attack blockade.
On the other hand, studies continue to show that blocking panic attacks is only part of the solution to panic disorder and that many patients continue to suffer from associated features of the illness, including anticipatory anxiety and phobic avoidance. Very few long-term studies have been conducted to inform clinicians about how long treatment should last before there can be a reasonable certainty that response can be sustained. It is not known, for example, whether there is a length of medication exposure after which the patient with panic disorder will have a low chance for relapse. Even in selecting the first treatment for a new patient with panic disorder, there is uncertainty. Rigorous studies have shown that both medications and CBT are better than control treatments for panic disorder and approximately equal to each other.