Marital Interactions as Predictors of Symptoms Severity in Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia

Several studies showed associations among marital variables and panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA) symptomatology. However, very few explored this issue using behavioural coding of couples’ interactions. We www.ccsenet.org/ijps International Journal of Psychological Studies Vol. 3, No. 2; December 2011 ISSN 1918-7211 E-ISSN 1918-722X 108 conducted this study to investigate whether observed marital interaction patterns would predict PDA severity. Cross-sectional, pre-treatment multi-center study of 65 married couples in which one spouse was diagnosed with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). All participants completed seven self-reported PDA symptoms measures commonly used in PDA research and two self-reported marital measures. Couples were observed during a 15-minute video-taped problem-solving task. The spouses’ marital interactions were coded by two independent coders using two validated observational coding systems. After controlling for socio-economical variables, the presence of negative marital interaction patterns, namely criticism and dominance behaviour, predicted higher symptom severity, whereas the presence of positive interaction patterns, namely support and validation behaviours, predicted lower symptom severity . Emotional over-involvement of the non-PDA partner, a manifestation of expressed emotions, failed to predict PDA severity. Discord in the couple could exacerbate the PDA and maintain it. A therapist evaluating a married PDA client may need to assess his or her client’s marital interaction patterns with his or her partner and adjust his intervention accordingly.