LIFE EVENTS AS PREDISPOSING FACTORS FOR THE ONSET, DEVELOPMENT, AND MAINTENANCE OF PANIC DISORDER

D. Ljušić ,
D. Ljušić

Clinic for psychiatry and neurology, CHC Priština, Gračanica

T. Uskoković
T. Uskoković

Health house "Železnice Srbije" , Belgrade , Serbia

Published: 01.01.2010.

Volume 38, Issue 1 (2010)

pp. 121-123;

https://doi.org/10.70949/pramed201001340L

Abstract

Clinical praxis shows that patients with panic disorder have experienced different stressful life events which could be linked with the onset, development, and maintenance of the disorder. The aim of the study was to analyze the life events occurring one year before the onset of the panic attacks. The research has been conducted on the Psychiatry and Neurology Clinic, Clinical-Hospital Center Pristina, Gracanica. The sample consists of 84 patients with panic disorder. The data were obtained using the Questionary NIMH PQ consisting of 11 stressful life situations and a possibility for the participants to add a life event that was not included in the questionary. The standard descriptive and analytic statistic methods have been applied. The results revealed that a majority of patients (88%) have experienced some stressful life event in the period of one year before the first panic attack. The most common life event was change of life space. The second frequency has loss of job, following with death of a family member, disease, traffic accident, and continuing education moving to a different town. It can be concluded that stressful life events can be significant factors for the onset, development and maintenance of panic disorder. 

Keywords

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