Treatments for panic disorder.

Research conducted since 1980 has resulted in a number of effective treatments made available for panic disorder. Panic is a serious condition with long-term consequences. The author prefaces a discussion of those treatments with a review of the history of panic disorder as a diagnostic entity and the presentation of data on the epidemiology of the disorder, including the prevalence of comorbidity. The author then reviews the pharmacologic treatments found to be effective for panic disorder, the tricyclic antidepressants, the monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and the high-potency benzodiazepines; the agents that show promise such as the serotonin reuptake blockers; the psychological treatments in current use; and the combination of pharmacologic and psychological treatment. The author also discusses medication dosage and length of treatment and concludes that there is now a range of options for treating panic disorder with likelihood of good therapeutic outcome.