The panic‐agoraphobic spectrum

Categorical classifications of mental disorders do not take into account the subthreshold, atypical and often enduring symptoms that accompany the core manifestations of full-blown mental disorders. However, this often neglected spectrum of symptoms may be as distressing and debilitating as the full-blown disorder and may have unrecognized importance in treatment selection and response. To this end, a spectrum approach to mental disorders, such as bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, eating, and panic disorder has been developed, which has been extensively used and proven effective in clinical practice. The need for a systematic identification and assessment of a broad array of symptoms and behavioural features led, as a first step, to the conceptualization of the panic-agoraphobic spectrum model and to the development of a structured interview (SCI-PAS). This model has been constructed by identifying different psychopathological and clinical domains incorporating and extending Panic Disorder as described in DSM-IV. The rationale, clinical usefulness, and heuristic significance of the panic-agoraphobic spectrum model will be discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.