[EMDR and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy in the Treatment of Panic Disorder: a Comparison]

Aim: A comparison between two treatments used in the Panic Disorder: EMDR, an evidence-based method for PTSD, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is nowadays considered the most effective psychotherapeutic approach for this disorder.

Method: In order to evaluate any improvement obtained from the adopted treatment, a descriptive analysis through the use of the SPSS software has been carried out, on a sample of 20 subjects, divided in two groups (EMDR and CBT).

Results: From the data obtained, a tendency to improve is already clear from the first evaluation (after 12 sessions), in all the proposed tests. The symptomatic progress turned out to be quite similar in the two compared groups. EMDR treatment however seems to have a faster progress in symptom reduction which is maintained over time, as evidenced at follow-up.

Conclusion: From the showed results, it is possible to confirm that both treatments are effective for the resolution of a Panic Disorder, even if some differences between the two therapies are clear, both from a symptomatic and a timing point of view. So, it is suggested to carry on the research in this area of interest.