The article discussed panic disorders in adolescents. It is fairly common that the onset of panic disorders occur before the onset of adulthood. It is during the period of adolescents that the onset of the disorder may be at its highest prevalence. It is about the mid-range of adolescents where the onset is most common and is more often seen in girls than boys. Although only about one percent of the population suffers from the disorder, for those that have a psychiatric history it is far more prevalent. The range of adolescents that are diagnosed with panic disorders ranges from two to ten percent on the outpatient basis and increases to 10 to 15 percent of inpatient adolescents.
When describing the symptoms of panic attacks, the article mentions adolescents as having many of the same symptoms as adults. The identified symptoms include physiological sensations that include palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, faintness, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include increased anxiety and agoraphobia. Adolescents with panic disorder often also are diagnosed with a second disorder such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and/or other anxiety disorders. Additionally, the adolescent may experience suicidal ideation and suicide attempts throughout the teen years and into adulthood. This being the case, adolescents that are diagnosed with panic disorders are at a much greater risk of having poor physical and emotional health.
If the panic disorder is left untreated or not treated successfully as the adolescent enters adulthood, there are increased risks for alcohol abuse, emergency room misuse, occupational dysfunction, and difficulties in relationships and marriage. Some possible treatments that have been effective include cognitive-behavioral therapy; pharmacological treatment; psychosocial treatment; and panic control treatment, which is a specific 11-step cognitive-behavioral approach.
The study focused on this 11-step approach. It was concluded that it was quite effective for the adolescents that were studied and should be considered for further use on a wider range of adolescents for a better analysis due to the positive results from the small sample group. The study participants demonstrated a more positive emotional well-being after the study and found the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy a positive experience. The therapy also helped to positively influence comorbid disorders in the subjects that were studied (Pincus, May, Whitton, Mattis, & Barlow, 2010).
The paper was well-written, thorough, and appeared to be conducted without bias. The authors were able to account for the age of onset of panic disorders for adolescents, not excluding the onset from occurring at different ages. Comorbid disorders were accounted for in the study and the most common couplings were mentioned and accounted for in the study. The prevalence in the general study was mentioned as well as those in treatment with a breakdown of those in both in-patient and out-patient treatment settings. Several treatment options were explored as possible, and then the study studied one of these treatment options in-depth. The study did acknowledge that its number of participants, which was limited to four, was indeed quite small, and that a larger group needed to be studied in order for reliability and validity to be justified.
The topic of panic disorder was intriguing and the onset of it often occurring in adolescence made it appealing as most studies are conducted on adults. The description of what occurs during a panic attack might be useful information as it does occur in one percent of the general population and I might encounter someone who is in the midst of one during a routine day at one point in my life. Since it is a disorder, that is often a comorbid disorder, it is important to be able to separate the two, which is one reason that is an important component of this course.
Reference
Pincus, D., May, J., Whitton, S., Mattis, S., & Barlow, D. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral treatment
of panic disorder in adolescence. Journal Of Clinical Child And Adolescent Psychology:
The Official Journal For The Society Of Clinical Child And Adolescent Psychology,
American Psychological Association, Division 53, 39(5), 638-649.
doi:10.1080/15374416.2010.501288
Article Link
http://www.bu.edu/card/get-help/child-programs/child-and-adolescent-fear-and-anxiety-treatment-program/publications/
