Evidence‑Based First‑Line Treatment for Panic Disorder

Pharmacologic First‑Line Therapy

Risks and Management of Benzodiazepines

Adjunctive and Non‑Pharmacologic Interventions

Monitoring and Safety

(All safety signals are supported by evidence from the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.) [@2]

Guided Self‑Help CBT and Patient Preference in Panic Disorder

Self‑Help CBT Delivery

• Guided self‑help based on cognitive‑behavioral principles, delivered as roughly nine brief sessions over 3–4 months with a total therapist contact time of about three hours, is considered a second‑line option when face‑to‑face therapy is unavailable for adults with panic disorder. 1

Patient Treatment Preference

• In primary‑care adults with panic disorder, most patients express a preference for psychological treatment over medication alone, making combined CBT + pharmacotherapy an especially acceptable approach. 1