Vilka faktorer beskriver patienter med paniksyndrom som hjälpsamma i psykoterapi? En kvalitativ studie om Panic Control Treatment och Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Sammanfattning: The present study examined which factors patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (PD/A) describe as helpful in Panic Control Treatment (PCT) and Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PFPP). RCT-studies have indicated that PCT and PFPP are effective treatments for PD/A. This study applied a critical realistic thematic analysis to answer the research question. The 32 participants were randomized from project POSE, Psychotherapy outcome and self-selection effects for panic disorder, where-in one half was treated with PCT and the other with PFPP. The findings suggest that a good and trustful relationship with the therapist was helpful. Regarding PCT-patients, the relationship appeared as more task-oriented, whereas to PFPP-patients it appeared to be close and personal. Furthermore, PCT-patients found exposure to discomforting and fearful situations helpful, while PFPP-patients experienced working through difficult emotions and processing earlier events as helpful. It was considered helpful to acquire new insights and an increased understanding of one’s problems. Patients attached great importance to support from close ones and to increasingly share about the panic disorder, as well as to their own conscious and active effort in therapy. Additionally, the results showed that helpful factors which at first sight appeared to be common to the treatment groups, had considerable differences as regards to content. Hence, this study indicates that a positive therapeutic relationship, an active effort on the patient’s part, and support from social relationships are factors experienced as helpful in PCT- and PFPP-treatments.