PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR FEAR AND PANIC

Summary

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses. They often take a chronic course and usually occur together with other mental or somatic illnesses. They restrict the quality of life of the individual and are accompanied by social and professional impairments. If left untreated, they can result in a high economic burden on the health care system due to sick leave and early retirement. Longer-term psychotherapies are particularly necessary for chronic anxiety disorders with additional personality disorders. It is precisely here that proof of effectiveness and sustainability as well as the investigation of long-term cost-benefit relations are lacking. The APS study is a controlled-randomized study in which the outpatient treatment of patients with panic disorders and concomitant personality disorders is investigated. For this purpose, two established therapeutic methods, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Analytical Psychotherapy, will be compared with each other in terms of their effects, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of the two forms of treatment after thorough diagnostics.

In both procedures the therapies are carried out by experienced psychotherapists in private practice. The psychotherapy is financed by the statutory or private health insurance companies. The duration of the therapies is between 1.5 and 3 years, depending on the procedure and the therapy process. Patients are interviewed once a year for a period of 6 years, at termination of therapy and after 6 years additionally. A total of 260 patients with panic and comorbid personality disorders will be included in the participating study centers.

There are five study centers for patient recruiting (Kassel, Munich, Heidelberg, Berlin, Hamburg). Recruitment ended in spring 2017 and follow up examinations are currently being conducted. The study is expected to be completed around 2021.