Behaviour Research and Therapy
Volume 41, Issue 6, 2003, Pages 647-654

Anger-associated panic attacks in Cambodian refugees with PTSD; a multiple baseline examination of clinical data (Article)

Hinton D.* , Hsia C. , Um K. , Otto M.W.
  • a Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Revere, MA, United States, Southeast Asian Community Clinic, N. Suffolk Mental Health Association, 265 Beach Street, Revere, MA 02151, United States, Arbour Counseling Center, Lowell, MA, United States
  • b Boston University, Ctr. for Anxiety/Related Disorders, Boston, MA, United States
  • c Arbour Counseling Center, Lowell, MA, United States
  • d Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Revere, MA, United States

Abstract

Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of anger as a key aspect of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the presence of anger-induced panic attacks has been understudied in traumatized groups. The present investigation determines the prevalence of anger-associated panic attacks among Cambodian refugees suffering from PTSD. Specific characteristics of these episodes that were examined included frequency, symptoms, and cognitions (in particular, fear of death from bodily dysfunction). In a survey of 100 Khmer patients suffering PTSD, 58% reported anger-associated panic attacks in the last month. These attacks occurred at a mean rate of 6.2 attacks a month and were characterized by extreme arousal and in 81% of these cases, fears of death due to bodily dysfunction during the anger-induced panic. Mechanisms for this high rate of fear of death during anger arousal are discussed with a focus on culture-specific catastrophic cognitions. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Stress disorder Cognition Cambodia Refugees Anger Post-traumatic Panic

Index Keywords

Cambodia medical examination human controlled study Aged death anger disaster panic arousal male female cognition clinical article Article adult posttraumatic stress disorder disease association molecular recognition
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0037963323&doi=10.1016%2fS0005-7967%2802%2900035-9&partnerID=40&md5=a418b05bab31db5ba64e6943ebd08cc9
DOI: 10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00035-9
ISSN: 00057967
Cited by: 33
Original Language: English