Abstract

reviewed cognitive-behavior theories for panic disorder which has been taken growing interest since 1980's and recent studies. Hyperventilation theory and pharmacological theory were also reviewed as biological panic model which has much relevance to cognitive-behavior theory for panic. Biological panic models have made a great contribution for the theory and therapy of panic disorder. But these models, entirely focusing on the effect of biological factors on psychological states, do not explain well the complexity of the panic phenomena and many empirical data. Empirical data can be explained in the view of the interaction of biological and cognitive factors. The cognitive model of panic advanced in recent is promising one which can incorporate much of the biological data and break the difficulty of existing cognitive theories. Recent psychological studies on panic are psychological conceptualization of panic disorder in cognitive-behavioral view, empirical testing of this concept, and the treatment effect of cognitive-behavior therapy. Basing on the review, suggestions for future research are made.