[Panic and pandemic: Review of the literature on the links between panic disorder and the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic].

[Panic and pandemic: Review of the literature on the links between panic disorder and the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic]. Encephale. 2020 May 21;: Authors: Javelot H, Weiner L Abstract Although the "panic" word has been abundantly linked to the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pandemic in the press, in the scientific literature very few studies have considered whether the current epidemic could predispose to the onset or the aggravation of panic attacks or panic disorder. Indeed, most studies thus far have focused on the risk of increase and aggravation of other psychiatric disorders as a consequence of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Yet, risk of onset or aggravation of panic disorder, especially the subtype with prominent respiratory symptoms, which is characterized by a fear response conditioning to interoceptive sensations (e.g., respiratory), and hypervigilance to these interoceptive signals, could be expected in the current situation. Indeed, respiratory symptoms, such as coughs and dyspnea, are among the most commonly associated with the SARS-CoV-2 (59-82% and 31-55%, respectively), and respiratory symptoms are associated with a poor illness prognosis. Hence given that some etiological and maintenance factors associated with panic disorder - i.e., fear conditioning to abnormal breathing patter...
Source: L Encephale - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Encephale Source Type: research