[The impact of various levels of social anxiety on the efficiency of a cognitive behavioral treatment of panic-agoraphobia disorder]

Abstract

This research aims at evaluating in individuals suffering from panic-agoraphobia disorder without social phobia the presence or not of various levels of social anxiety. The study also evaluates the impact of this symptomatic comorbidity on the efficiency of two modes of cognitive behaviorial treatment, namely an auto-directed treatment and a treatment directed by the therapist. The study attempts to determine if the application of a cognitive behavioral treatment program positively or negatively influences the various levels of anxiety. On the other hand, the study evaluates if levels of social anxiety influences the efficiency of the cognitive behavioral treatment in regards to agoraphobic symptomatology. The sample includes 51 people (26 in a therapist-directed treatment and 25 in a auto-directed treatment) suffering from DSM-IV panic disorder with agoraphobia. The authors observed a relatively equivalent number of individuals with a panic-agoraphobia disorder presenting social anxiety at a weak, moderate and high level for the two groups in treatment. Moreover, the authors noted a significant improvement not only of the symptoms of agoraphobia-panic disorder, but also of social anxiety symptoms. There are less participants presenting high or moderate levels of social anxiety after treatment. The two modes of treatment are equivalent in regards to their efficiency. Finally, results only partially indicate that high and moderate levels of social anxiety possibly have a negative influence on the efficiency of treatment as measured by certain components of the disorder. Consequences related to this symptomatic comorbidity as well as possible explanations of various impacts of the efficiency of the treatment are discussed.