A manualized treatment approach will be developed for people with comorbid panic disorder (PD) and asthma. PD is much more common among asthmatics than in the general population, and there is evidence that asthma and PD may mutually exacerbate each other. This occurs through mechanisms that are physiological (autonomic hyperreactivity, hyperventilation, effects of medications), cognitive (fear of respiratory-linked body sensations, faulty discrimination between asthma and panic symptoms), and behavioral (inappropriate behavioral and pharmacological interventions). This project will integrate well-validated manualized treatment approaches for panic (""""""""panic control therapy"""""""") and asthma (""""""""asthma education""""""""), and add components of particular importance to the comorbid group (e.g., discriminating between panic and asthma symptoms and between adaptive asthma-specific panic and maladaptive generalized panic, reconciling superficially contradictory recommendations given in asthma and panic therapies). During the first year a manual will be expanded and tested on 10 comorbid subjects. During the next two years, it will be refined and pilot tested on 40 comorbid subjects, using a waiting list control and a 6-month follow-up. The principal outcome measures will be indices of high/low PD end-state functioning and improvement in asthma severity. A number of exploratory measures also will be analyzed.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21MH058196-01A2
Application #
6196351
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-5 (01))
Program Officer
Street, Linda L
Project Start
2000-08-15
Project End
2003-06-30
Budget Start
2000-08-15
Budget End
2001-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$155,290
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
622146454
City
Piscataway
State
NJ
Country
United States
Zip Code
08854
Feldman, Jonathan M; Siddique, Mahmood I; Thompson, Nigel S et al. (2009) The role of panic-fear in comorbid asthma and panic disorder. J Anxiety Disord 23:178-84
Lehrer, Paul M; Karavidas, Maria Katsamanis; Lu, Shou-En et al. (2008) Psychological treatment of comorbid asthma and panic disorder: a pilot study. J Anxiety Disord 22:671-83
Feldman, Jonathan M; Lehrer, Paul M; Borson, Soo et al. (2005) Health care use and quality of life among patients with asthma and panic disorder. J Asthma 42:179-84
Lehrer, Paul; Feldman, Jonathan; Giardino, Nicholas et al. (2002) Psychological aspects of asthma. J Consult Clin Psychol 70:691-711