A Study of Panic Attacks in University Students of Iran Publisher



Nazemi H^{1, 5} ; Kleinknecht RA¹ ; Dinnel DL¹ ; Lonner WJ¹ ; Nazemi S² ; Shamlo S³ ; Sobhan A⁴ Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Published:2003

Abstract

This study examined the parameters of panic, fear, and avoidance among university students in Iran. Data were collected from 347 students using Farsi translations of the Panic Attack Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Thirty-eight percent of participants reported panic attacks in the past year and 21.4% reported panic attacks in the past 4 weeks when prompted by a broad definition of panic. Men and those with unexpected panic reported greater panic severity whereas women with panic attacks reported greater situational fear and avoidance. Panickers who satisfied DSM-III-R panic disorder (PD) criteria reported greater lifestyle restriction and general psychopathology. The findings provide tentative support for cross-cultural similarity in panic phenomenology and the validity of DSM-III-R PD criteria among university students in Iran. The results are discussed by reference to nonclinical panic research and general themes of Iranian culture.