The association between PTSD and pain intensity is in accordance with the mutual-maintenance and fear-avoidance models. Future studies should investigate changes in pain intensity and mechanisms after treatment targeting comorbid PTSD in chronic pain patients.
Background
Bergen 4-day treatment (B4DT) is a concentrated exposure-based treatment (cET), where the patient receives concentrated, individually tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) during four consecutive days. Previous findings have indicated that B4DT could be a promising treatment for panic disorder (PD).
Aim
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the implementation of B4DT for panic disorder with- and without agoraphobia, at a new clinic. This is the first replication study for B4DT on panic disorder.
Method
Thirty consecutively recruited patients with PD were included in an open trial design. Assessment of symptoms of panic disorder were measured with Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), while symptoms of generalized anxiety were assessed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and depressive symptoms by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 3-month follow-up. Treatment satisfaction was measured with Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) post-treatment.
Results
The results showed a significant reduction in symptom severity from pre-treatment to post-treatment (d = 4.32), and at 3-month follow-up (d = 4.91). The proportion of patients classified as fulfilling the criteria for remission was 80.0% at post-treatment and 86.7% at follow up. There was a significant reduction in symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. Treatment satisfaction was high and none of the patients dropped out.
Conclusion
The current study replicated the results from the original study and indicate that the treatment can be successfully implemented at new clinics. B4DT may be a promising treatment for panic disorder and comorbid symptoms of generalized anxiety and depression. Larger and more controlled studies are needed to establish the efficacy of B4DT for panic disorder.
These results suggest that attentional avoidance is associated with increased chronic posttraumatic pain. The causal contribution of attentional avoidance to pain outcomes remains unclear.
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