An investigation into the effectiveness of bibliotherapy and minimal contact interventions in the treatment of panic attacks

The present study investigated the effectiveness of bibliotherapy and minimal therapist‐contact interventions in the treatment of panic attacks. Individuals were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) bibliotherapy alone (BT); (2) bibliotherapy plus phone contact (BT+PC); or (3) phone contact alone (PC). Assessment (pre‐ and post‐treatment) and treatment (8 weeks in duration) were conducted via mail and phone. Individuals receiving BT and BT+PC exhibited significant reductions from pre‐ to post‐treatment on panic cognitions and fear of having a panic attack. Individuals receiving BT+PC exhibited significant reductions from pre‐ to post‐treatment on panic symptoms and avoidance. In addition, individuals in the BT and BT+PC groups were more likely to exhibit clinically significant improvement on most dependent measures relative to PC alone. On some measures, individuals in the BT+PC group did clinically better than individuals in the BT group. Results of the present study also suggest that diagnosis may play some role in outcome. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol. 61: 763–779, 2005