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. 2017 Jan;85(1):37-44.
doi: 10.1037/ccp0000161.

Perceived criticism predicts outcome of psychotherapy for panic disorder: Replication and extension

Dianne L Chambless  1 , Kelly M Allred  1 , Fang Fang Chen  1 , Kevin S McCarthy  2 , Barbara Milrod  3 , Jacques P Barber  4
Affiliations

Perceived criticism predicts outcome of psychotherapy for panic disorder: Replication and extension

Dianne L Chambless et al. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: We tested the relation of perceived criticism (PC) from a parent or spouse/romantic partner to outcome of psychotherapy for panic disorder (PD).

Method: Participants were 130 patients with PD (79% with agoraphobia) who received 24 twice-weekly sessions of panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or applied relaxation therapy. Patients were predominantly White (75%), female (64%), and non-Hispanic (85%). At baseline, Week 5 of treatment, termination, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up, patients rated PC from the relative with whom they lived. Independent evaluators assessed the severity of PD at baseline, Weeks 1, 5, and 9 of treatment, termination, and the 2 follow-up points. Data were analyzed with piecewise (treatment phase, follow-up phase) latent growth curve modeling.

Results: The latent intercept for PC at baseline predicted the latent slope for panic severity in the follow-up (p = .04) but not the active treatment phase (p = .50). In contrast, the latent intercept for PD severity at baseline did not predict the latent slope on PC in either phase (ps ≥ .29). Nor did the slopes of PC and PD severity covary across treatment (p = .31) or follow-up (p = .13). Indeed, PC did not change significantly across treatment (p = .45), showing the stability of this perception regardless of significant change in severity of patients' PD (p < .001).

Conclusions: Because PC predicts worse long-term treatment outcome for PD, study findings argue for interventions to address perceived criticism in treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Conditional Piecewise Latent Growth Curve Model with Initial Perceived Criticism Predicting Change in Panic Disorder Severity
Note. All paths between exogenous variables and latent factors were estimated, but only significant paths are shown. PDSS = Panic Disorder Severity Scale, PCM= Perceived Criticism Measure.*p < .05, **p < .001. †p < .05 for single-tailed significance test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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