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Spontaneous treatment discontinuation in panic disorder patients treated with antidepressants
Author(s) -
Toni C.,
Perugi G.,
Frare F.,
Mata B.,
Akiskal H. S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0047.2004.00347.x
Subject(s) - discontinuation , agoraphobia , panic disorder , panic , psychiatry , medicine , psychology , pediatrics , anxiety
Objective: We examined the relationships between long‐term treatment response, side‐effects and drug discontinuation in panic disorder (PD)–agoraphobia. Method: A total of 326 patients were naturalistically treated with antidepressants and followed for a period of 3 years. All patients were evaluated by means of the Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia Interview and the Longitudinal Interview Follow‐up Examination (LIFE‐UP). Results: A total of 179 patients interrupted pharmacological treatment. Among them, 26.8% were not traceable; 36.9% had deemed further contact with the psychiatrist unnecessary because of remission. Other reasons for interruption were: ineffectiveness (18.4%), side‐effects (10.6%) and personal reasons (7.3%). Patients who interrupted pharmacological treatment because of symptom remission remained in the study for a longer period than those patients who interrupted their treatment because of inefficacy. Conclusion: In the long‐term treatment of PD with antidepressants, a high percentage of patients who have achieved symptom remission tend to default from further treatment; adherence to long‐term treatment with antidepressants was predicted by severe and long‐lasting symptomatology.