Addressing Help-Seeking Barriers in Developing an Intensive Treatment for Veterans With Panic Disorder

The population of interest for this program includes men and women returning from deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan who are seen in the TRP at the MEDVAMC. The study consists of two parts: PART 1 involves a qualitative investigation of treatment-seeking barriers specific to persons who refuse standard treatments and PART 2 is a pilot intervention to treat panic symptoms in service members who have co-existing PTSD symptoms. PART 1 will include approximately 15 individuals who will be interviewed by a member of the study staff. Patients will be interviewed individually following a semi-structured questionnaire designed to help identify treatment-seeking barriers. PART 2 will include 8 individuals who will be enrolled in an open-trial of a two-day intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment for panic disorder, which will occur over the weekend. No participants will be assigned to a control condition. All activities related to this project including the interviews and intervention will be delivered in either the TRP at the MEDVAMC or at the Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies (HCQCUS), a nearby facility.