For patients with phobias or panic disorder, strong religious belief may help to quell symptoms.
The treatment of panic disorder often involves both psychotherapy and medication. Now a study reported in the journal Depression and Anxiety (Volume 23, page 266) shows that people with panic disorder who perceive themselves as being religious are more likely to experience improvements in their panic symptoms than people who rank religion or spirituality as unimportant to them.
The study enrolled 56 people with panic disorder and had them participate in group cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions for a year, during which they reviewed their panic symptoms, learned relaxation techniques, and discussed dysfunctional thinking patterns that contributed to their panic attacks. Some of the patients were also taking antianxiety medications.
The investigators assessed the participants’ ratings of the importance of religion, perceived stress, self-esteem, sense of control over one’s life (mastery), and social isolation at the start of the study, at six months, and at 12 months.
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Placing a high value on religion was more important in predicting improvements in panic symptoms than age, gender, lifetime presence of moderate mania symptoms, self-esteem, mastery, and feeling socially isolated. Those who rated religion as very important had fewer anxiety, panic, and phobia symptoms and less perceived stress than other participants.
Previous research suggests that engaging in organized religious activities leads to many health benefits, such as reduced reliance on alcohol. The social aspect of attending religious functions now also appears to help quell panic and anxiety.
