The experimental induction of depersonalization and derealization in panic disorder and nonanxious subjects

Abstract

The present study evaluated the efficacy of three tasks in inducing depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR) in three different groups: (a) panic disorder patients who report these symptoms while panicking (PD + DD; n = 10); (b) panic disorder patients never experiencing these symptoms during panic attacks (PD; n = 10); and (c) nonanxious controls (NC; n = 10). Clinical features of the PD + DD and PD Ss were compared as well. Relative to PD Ss, PD + DD Ss evidenced higher levels of depression, trait anxiety, more fear of panic, and had a briefer duration of their disorder. A substantial proportion of NC Ss reported past DP and DR experiences. DP and DR induction procedures were the following: staring at a dot on the wall, staring in a mirror, and silent repetition of one's name. Results indicated two tasks (mirror and dot) successfully elicited these sensations above baseline levels with DP reported more frequently and intensely than DR for all Ss. The PD + DD Ss evidenced greater baseline-to-task increases in DP and DR relative to the other two groups and exhibited a differential fear response, particularly on the dot task, with 30% of these Ss intentionally distracting themselves or terminating the induction.