Comparisons of Different Measures for Cognitions in Agoraphobic Patients

Abstract

According to the cognitive models of panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, patients engage in catastrophic cognitions when anxious. An important question to address is the relationship between measures used in previous research. The present study compares different measures of cognitive material from the same sample of 70 patients with panic disorder with agrophobia. Cognitions were assessed through questionnaires, interview and self-monitoring during a behavioural avoidance test. No congruence between the different measures of cognitive material was found. Furthermore, cognitions collected through interview were more in line with the assumptions derived from the cognitive model, than were cognitions reported through self-monitoring. To answer the question whether this is due to methodological inadequacy or whether it reflects the state of affairs requires future research.