A Non-Controlled Study of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Panic Disorder in Veterans

Panic disorder is a highly prevalent and impairing diagnosis in veterans. Despite consistent efficacy findings in community samples, few studies have investigated evidence-based psychotherapies in veterans with panic disorder, limiting the understanding of their utility and deployment in Veterans Affairs (VA) settings. The present study preliminarily investigated cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for panic disorder via a non-controlled design in a treatment-seeking veteran sample with panic disorder at the VA. Of the 41 veterans initiating treatment, 28 (68.3%) participants completed at least eight sessions of psychotherapy. In general, participants evidenced medium-to-large post-treatment effects across disorder-specific symptoms (panic and anxiety symptomatology), comorbid presentations (symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder), and overall functioning. Disorder-specific symptom effects remained stable for six months after psychotherapy was terminated. In addition, the delivery of CBT for panic disorder was further supported by positive indices of treatment feasibility, including treatment engagement, homework completion and engagement, and high participant satisfaction ratings. While recognizing that this study did not include a control group, the findings provide limited support for CBT treatment of panic disorder in veterans’ settings, findings that will require confirmation in a multisite controlled clinical trial.