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Validity and reliability of the panic attack symptoms and cognitions questionnaires

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Abstract

The present article reports on the development and validation of two self-report instruments designed to assess the symptoms and cognitions associated with panic attacks. The Panic Attack Symptoms Questionnaire (PASQ) as well as the Panic Attack Cognitions Questionnaire (PACQ) successfully differentiated a group of anxiety-disordered individuals with panic attacks from a group of anxiety-disordered individuals without panic attacks. Reliability estimates based on Cronbach's alpha were adequate, and two discriminant functions designed to determine whether each of these questionnaires contributed uniquely to the separation of individuals with and without panic attacks beyond that provided by standard measures of anxiety and depression supported the validity of these questionnaires. The PASQ and PACQ appear to be useful vehicles for assessing the presence and severity of panic attacks.

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Clum, G.A., Broyles, S., Borden, J. et al. Validity and reliability of the panic attack symptoms and cognitions questionnaires. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 12, 233–245 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960620

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