Mediating effects of security on the severity of panic disorder and life events

Abstract

Objective To explore the mediating effects of security on the severity of panic disorder and life events. Methods Security Questionnaire (SQ), life event scale (LES) were used to investigate 97 cases of patients with panic disorder and 108 cases of normal control group. The severity of panic disorder was assessed by panic disorder severity scale (PDSS). And the correlation and hierarchical regression analysis were used. Results ①The panic disorder patients’ positive life stimulation(7.95±6.00) were less than that the normal control group’s (18.06±13.60), negative life stimulation and total life events stimulation ((36.64±29.98), (44.59±31.24)) were higher than that of the normal control group (respectively(10.19±7.89), (28.25±14.51)), the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Panic disorder patients’ interpersonal security certainty in control and total score (respectively (18.89±8.66), (17.88±7.58), (36.76±13.47)) were lower than that the normal control group(respectively(26.64±9.33), (24.34±8.33), (50.98±15.31)), the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). ②Severity of panic disorder and positive life events were negatively related to positive events, the total score of security, interpersonal security, certainty in control (r=-0.262--0.392); severity of panic disorder were positively related to the negative life stimulation and total life event(r=0.346, 0.280)(all P<0.01). ③Security played a partial mediating role between the negative life events and the severity of panic disorder (beta value decreased from 0.346 to 0.253). Conclusion The patients with panic disorder have more negative life events, lower security.And negative life events and lower security are related to the severity of panic disorder.And security plays a partial mediating effect between the negative life events and the severity of panic disorder. Key words: Panic disorder; Life event; Security; Mediation effect