EPA-1347 – Predictors of Therapeutic Response in Selected Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

Introduction

Despite the fact that anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in general population specific predictors associated with a good response to treatment were still not found.

Method

In our study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and demographic predictors of response to combined (congitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy) in patients with panic disorder (n = 62), social phobia (n = 50) and obsessive compulsive disorder (n = 33). Probands were recruited from psychotherapeutical department of department of psychiatry, that is concentrated mostly on pharmacoresistant patients. We focused on basic clinical and demographical data.

Results

In the case of panic disorder was a treatment success defined as decline in Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) by 25%. Using stepwise regression we identified three statistically significant predictors of response: marital status, presence of other anxiety disorders, and the difference in scale BAI between the first and second weeks. In the case of social phobia treatment success was defined as a decrease in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) of 25% between the first and final measurements. Change in LSAS scale was positively correlated only with age of onset of illness. In patients with OCD was a treatment success considered as a decrease of the Y-BOCS by 35%. In this disorder decrease in Y-BOCS correlated with level of insight and the presence of comorbid personality disorders.

Conclusion

In our study we found few statisticaly significant predictors of treatment response. Further research is needed to refine the findings.