An investigation of anxious thought in patients with DSM-IV agoraphobia/panic disorder: rationale and design.

Psychoanalysis as a profession is in difficulty because changes in the mental health field have exposed vulnerabilities inherent in psychoanalytic traditions. In this setting, scientific outcome studies of psychoanalytic treatment are a necessity. To enable such studies, certain preliminary research is required. In particular, a set of reliable diagnoses that recognize psychodynamic factors, in addition to "descriptive" criteria, must be developed. This paper outlines the rationale, significance, and design of a pilot study in the area of anxiety disorders, agoraphobia in particular, intended to provide a basis for recategorization of the currently predominant DSM system.