Subtype requirement in panic disorders: A cluster analysis research

Background: Panic Disorder subtyping studies have been done before. Studies based on different features and symptoms have shown very different subtypes. In our study, clustering analysis was performed with the data of scales performed for PD patients. This was the first study to look at the clus- tering of such scales and features in PD patients and to subtype accordingly. Aim: We aimed to make an effective subtyping in panic disorder which may affect the prognosis and treatment of the disease. Efficient identification of subtypes will contribute to the studies on the course and treatment of the disease. Material and methods: In our study, 110 Panic Disorder patients diag- nosed with SCID 5 and fulfilling the criteria for inclusion in our study were taken as samples. Then, we received informed consent form from our sam- ple. Then, Sociodemographic and Clinical Data Form, Panic-Agoraphobia Scale, HAM-D, HAM-A, EKA-GGK, AABE, ADI-3, CTRS were applied. Uni- variate analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis were performed with the collected data. Results: Univariate analysis results with the data in our study; there is more sexual abuse and higher lying personality dimension in female gender, more physical neglect and higher lying dimension in married patients, PAD is higher in children with parental loss at the same time, and neuroticism and psychoticism and physical neglect are seen more. We found that high levels of PAD, anxiety levels, neuroticism, lying, separation anxiety, physical ne- glect and other childhood traumas were associated with low education levels. We found that the level of lying personality dimension of the person with the low level of father education, physical neglect and abuse and the rate of childhood traumas were higher, and with the low level of mother education, the individual had higher PAD, neuroticism, lying dimension, physical neglect and abuse were seen more.This situation is consistent with the information in the literature. As a result of multivariate analyzes, we found that there were two clusters in PD and we identified the non-traumatic PD subtype develop- ing with traumatic effect according to the clustering characteristics.We found that depression, anxiety levels, PAD, separation anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, personality dimensions of neuroticism and psychoticism, and emotional abuse and sexual abuse were more prevalent in the subtype developing with traumatic effect.In the non-traumatic PD subtype, we found that Eysenck Ex- traversion personality dimension was significantly higher. Conclusions:The characteristics of PD patients are related to each other and there are two subtypes of traumatic effects of PD and nontraumatic PD. Identifying PB subtypes will be the source of further studies.We think that by identifying subtypes, patients will be predictive of information such as treat- ment responses, which therapy they will benefit from, ways to prevent the formation of PD, and risk groups for PD formation. Keywords: Panic Disorder, Trauma, Panic Disorder Subtypes.