Effectiveness of emotion regulation-foucsed group therapy on symptom reduction, worry and emotion dysregulation in individuals with Panic disorder

People with Panic disorder experience excessive worry and difficulties in emotion regulation, Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT) is a multifaceted and integrated treatment and its effectiveness on anxiety factors of generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder has been confired in many studies. .This study to aim was conducted to investigate effectiveness of emotion regulation group therapy on symptom reduction, worry and difficulties in emotion regulation in peoples with Panic disorder in a quasi-experimental design to pre-test and post-test with control group aimed at. Population of this study includes people with panic disorder referring to the psychiatric clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Shiraz city. Twenty-two people with Panic disorder were vouluntarly select and randomly were assigned to the experimental and the control groups.The subjects in the experimental and the control groups were assessed in both pre-test and post-test stages using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5 (ADIS-5), and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Data were analyzed using covariance analysis statistical method and by software SPSS-22. Results showed that group therapy based on emotion regulation Improve significantly symptoms of anxiety, worry and difficulties in emotion regulation of subjects with panic disorder. Emotion regulation therapy throughout using body scan mindfulness technique, awareness of physical senses and breathe technique, and also intervention in worry and emotion regulation construct mprove symptoms worry and difficulties difficulties in emotion regulation of subjects with panic disorder.