Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Panic Disorder Versus Treatment as Usual in a Managed Care Setting.

Eighty clients enrolled in a managed care health plan who identified panic disorder as their primary presenting problem were randomly assigned to treatment by a therapist recently trained in a manual-based empirically supported psychotherapy or a therapist conducting treatment as usual (TAU). Participants in both conditions showed significant change from pre- to posttreatment on a number of measures. Those receiving panic control therapy (PCT) showed greater levels of change than those receiving TAU. Among treatment completers, an average of 42.9% of those in PCT and 18.8% in TAU achieved clinically significant change across measures. The results are discussed with reference to the dissemination of PCT and other evidence-based psychotherapies to clinical practice settings.