COMBINED COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL AND TIME-LIMITED ALPRAZOLAM TREATMENT OF PANIC DISORDER

A combined cognitive-behavioral and time-limited alprazolam treatment model for panic disorder was evaluated within the context of routine clinical practice. Twenty-two patients were followed for 1 year after the completion of cognitive-behavior therapy and alprazolam discontinuation. At 1-year follow-up, 76% of the original sample were medication-free and 85% remained panic-free. These results are comparable to previous reports of cognitive-behavioral therapy alone (e.g., Craske, Brown, & Barlow, 1991) and are far superior to medication-only studies (e.g., Fyer et al., 1987). These results suggest that both rapid and long-lasting treatment effects may be obtained through such a combination, and that the combined treatment approach does not necessarily interfere with the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy. This study represents a first step in evaluating this combined treatment approach and supports the utility of conducting controlled randomized studies to evaluate these issues systematically.