Short- and long-term effectiveness of high-density exposure for panic disorder with agoraphobia in an inpatient setting
type: CreativeWork
description: This study examined the effectiveness up to 7 years post-treatment of individual high-density exposure (3-4 weeks, all day) for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDAG). Unselected inpatients (N = 379) with a primary diagnosis of PDAG were treated in the Christoph-Dornier-Clinic (CDK) for Psychotherapy in Germany (Muenster). Outcome measures (i.e., self-report questionnaires) were given pre-treatment, 6-weeks, 1-year and 7-years post-treatment and data were analyzed with Item Response Theory (Rasch analysis). Highly significant symptom reductions in anxiety cognitions, anxiety body sensations, agoraphobic avoidance, depressive symptoms, and general psychopathology could be found at the 6-weeks follow-up, also at 1-year follow up, and 7-years post-treatment. At the 6-weeks follow-up the effect sizes ranged from 1.08 to 1.62 with an average effect size of 1.29; at the 1-year follow-up from 1.07 to 1.48 (average effect size was 1.26). Seven years after discharge the effect sizes ranged from 1.15 to 1.33 with an average of 1.22. The results suggest that high-density exposure for treatment of PDAG can be transferred to a natural clinic-setting without reducing its effectiveness. There is convincing evidence for long-lasting effectiveness up to seven years after treatment.
abstract: This study examined the effectiveness up to 7 years post-treatment of individual high-density exposure (3-4 weeks, all day) for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDAG). Unselected inpatients (N = 379) with a primary diagnosis of PDAG were treated in the Christoph-Dornier-Clinic (CDK) for Psychotherapy in Germany (Muenster). Outcome measures (i.e., self-report questionnaires) were given pre-treatment, 6-weeks, 1-year and 7-years post-treatment and data were analyzed with Item Response Theory (Rasch analysis). Highly significant symptom reductions in anxiety cognitions, anxiety body sensations, agoraphobic avoidance, depressive symptoms, and general psychopathology could be found at the 6-weeks follow-up, also at 1-year follow up, and 7-years post-treatment. At the 6-weeks follow-up the effect sizes ranged from 1.08 to 1.62 with an average effect size of 1.29; at the 1-year follow-up from 1.07 to 1.48 (average effect size was 1.26). Seven years after discharge the effect sizes ranged from 1.15 to 1.33 with an average of 1.22. The results suggest that high-density exposure for treatment of PDAG can be transferred to a natural clinic-setting without reducing its effectiveness. There is convincing evidence for long-lasting effectiveness up to seven years after treatment.
author: Uhle, Silvia
language: eng
keywords: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/610, Habituationstraining, Verhaltenstherapie, Paniksyndrom, Agoraphobie, Probabilistische Testtheorie, Medizin, Klinische Wirksamkeit, Raschanalyse, Expositionstherapie, effectivness study, Rasch analysis, exposure
date published: 2006
date modified: 2026-07-30T19:43:10Z
provider: RWTH Aachen University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University