Comparison of Disabilities in Patients with Social Phobia and Panic Disorder / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Disabilities in patients with panic disorder are well known for their acute and severe anxiety symptoms. Disabilities in patients with social phobia are not often rewgnied because symptoms are misattributed to simple shyness. We compared the severity and areas of disabilities among social phobia and panic disorder patients. METHODS: The study participants were 53 patients with social phobia and 55 patients with panic disorder, diagnosed by MINI-Plus (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus) and SDS (Sheehan disability scale). RESULTS: Compared with panic disorder patients, the patients with social phobia showed significantly greater impairments in work and social subscales of SDS. However, the home disability subscale scores of the patients with panic disorder were higher than the patients with social phobia. The general disabilities and GAF (General Assessment Functioning) scores were not different signigicantly. Comorbid cases have shown to induce more dysfunctions in work and social areas, except home and leisure areas, irrespective of diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Overall disabilities in patients with social phobia and panic disorder were not different significantly. But the disabilities were different accordiny to the areas, and the differences correlate with the specific symptoms.

Effect of Short-Term Treatment of Moclobemide in Patients with Social Phobia: Preliminary Study / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: Although there are a few studies reporting the efficacy of moclobemide in the treatment of social phobia, it has been poorly studied in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short term efficacy of moclobemide in Korean patients with social phobia. METHOD: Sixty six patients with social phobia based on DSM-IV criteria were enrolled to 4-week trial with a flexible-dose regime of moclobemide. Treatment responses were assessed at baseline and week 4 with Liebowits Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE), Mattick's Social Phobia Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Sheehan's Disability Scale (SDS). RESULT: Thirty eight of 66 patients completed the 4-week trial. Scores of LSAS, BFNE, and Mattick's Social Phobia Scale at baseline were not significantly reduced after 4-week trial (p=0.084, p=0.537, p=0.283, p=0.111, respectively). But scores of BDI and 3 of 4 Sheehan's Disability Subscale at baseline were significantly reduced (p=0.026, p=0.000, p=0.005, p=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Overall results of preliminary study showed that moclobemide could be used for the treatment of depression and functional impairment, but that it was not effective for treatment of anxiety and phobic avoidance of social phobic patients. More controlled, long-term studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of moclobemide for treatment of social phobia.