[[alternative]]A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Group Therapy V.S. Individual Therapy in Treating Panic Disorder

[[abstract]]This study is to (1) investigate the efftiveness of group therapy and individual therapy practiced in Taipei City Psychiatric Center, (2) evaluate patients' knowledge of panic disorder, attitudes towards treatments and self-care behaviors after tow different types of treatment and (3) comprehend the factors which promote progress. This study is based upon the patients of qualified panic disorder group therapy and indivedual therapy wigh total of 26 patients at Taipei City Psychiatric Center. The panic disorder group therapy was treated as an experimental group while the individual therapy as a control group. The results from interviews,questionnaires before the treatments and after treatments, and regular progress observing were all carefully recorded during the treatment course (12 weeks )from October 1993 to April 1994. After the study, the researcher reports that (1) Some significant facts are concluded from the basic data analysis. a. The number of male subjects (57.69%) are slightly higher than female subjects. b.The average age is 40.42. c. The number of married patients (80.77%) are significantly higher than the others. d. More than 50% of total studied patients are from the middle class. e. The average morbidity month is 51.35 months. f. All patients came to Taipei City Psychiatric Center after various psychiatric or non-psychiatric treatments at other centers or hospitals had failed. (2) There was no differences found when investigating patients'“knowledge of panic disorder”,“attitudes towards treatments”and“self-care behavior” before the treatments. However, patients obtain higher scores on every question after the treatments. (3) When the scores of “panic disorder knowledge” and “attitudes towards treatments” are studied, there were no differences found between the experimental group and control group. However, when investigating patients' scores of “self-care behaviors”and its subordinative observing questions-- the abilities of handling“anticipatory anxiety” and “phobic avoidance”, the experimental group obtain higher scores than the control group. (4) The factors which promote the improvement are treatment course, age, morbidity month, and attitudes towards treatments. These four factors could explain 53.85% variance of self-care behaviors. (5) After a tree months initial treatment, 73.08% of total patients were recovered to the normal working codition. (6) The condition of “panic attack ”and “degree of panic ”had been significantly improved after the treatments. Non-panic attack rate of the experimental group (80%) is higher than the control group (36.4%). No significant difference was found regarding to the degree of panic between two groups. (7) The patients with higher scores on “self- care behavior”were at lower risk of having panic attack. (8) The panic disorder patients' subjectively believed that doctor's professional qualification was more important than medication or assistance from family or other patients. The researcher concluded that (1) both grop therapy and individual therapy should be practiced since they both are effective, (2) when individual therapy is used, the ability of handling“ anticipatory anxiety ”and “phobic avoidance” should be constantly traced, and (3) the treatments practiced in Taipei City Psychiatric Center should be introduced to psychiatric institutes.