Quality of Life in Patients with Panic Disorder

Objectives : Panic disorder is a chronic condition that may carry significant negative impact on the quality of life in patients. However, the association between quality of life in panic patients and their clinical characteristics has not been investigated. Aim of this study is to compare quality of life in panic patients and healthy controls by using WHO Quality of Life (QOL) Scale that evaluates the domains of physical health, psychological health, social relationship and environment. Additionally, relationship between clinical factors in patients with panic disorders and their quality of life were explored. Method : 64 patients with panic disorder and 27 healthy controls were recruited in this study and WHO QOL Scales were completed. Total scores and scores of domains of WHO QOL Scale in two groups were compared. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed to examine the relationship between quality of life and the clinical characteristics in patients with panic disorder. Results : Total scores and scores of all domains except environmental domain of WHO QOL scale in patients with panic disorder were decreased compared to those in healthy controls. Clinical characteristics including the severity of agoraphobia and depression, number of symptoms during panic attacks and the frequency of panic attacks showed significant correlation with quality of life in general and most of subscales of QOL. Multiple regression revealed that the severity of depression, the number of symptoms during panic attacks and the severity of agoraphobia in the presence of accompanied persons were factors directly affecting the quality of life in the patients with panic disorder. Conclusion : Quality of life in patients with panic disorder was poorer than that of healthy controls. The severity of depression, the number of symptoms during panic attacks and the severity of agoraphobia in the presence of accompany were related to the quality of life in the patients with panic disorder.ope