Does coping predict CO2-induced panic in patients with panic disorder?

• Published in: Behaviour research and therapy Vol. 43; no. 10; pp. 1311 - 1319
• Main Authors: SCHMIDT, Norman B, MEADE EGGLESTON, A, TRAKOWSKI, John H, SMITH, Julia D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Science 01.10.2005; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Administration, Inhalation; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Avoidance Learning; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - physiology; Carbon Dioxide - administration & dosage; Case-Control Studies; Clinical trials; Emotions; Fear - psychology; Female; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Panic attacks; Panic disorder; Panic Disorder - physiopathology; Panic Disorder - psychology; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychological aspects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self-Assessment; Vital Capacity - physiology; Human; Panic; Induction; Anxiety disorder; Carbon dioxide; Biological challenge; Panic attack; Panic disorder; Coping
• ISSN: 0005-7967; 1873-622X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2004.09.007

Patients with panic disorder (PD) show maladaptive coping but the role of coping in the pathogenesis of panic is unclear. This study examined general coping and panic-specific coping as predictors of fear responding to CO2 inhalation. Subjective and physiological responses including panic attacks were assessed in 45 patients with PD and 45 matched nonclinical controls. Measures of coping were the primary predictors used in the analyses. Consistent with other reports, patients with PD reported increased emotion-focused coping and there was an association between emotion-focused coping and subjective reactivity. However, only panic-specific coping predicted panic attacks in response to the CO2 challenge.