Psychotherapy High Wycombe Psychotherapy High Wycombe - Last updated 07 January 2026

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DSM-IV: Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia

When an individual suffers recurrent Panic Attacks associated with Agoraphobia they may be diagnosed with this Anxiety Disorder.

Diagnostic criteria for 300.21 Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia

A. Both (1) and (2):

(1) recurrent unexpected Panic Attacks
(2) at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one (or more) of the following:

(a) persistent concern about having additional attacks
(b) worry about the implications of the attack or its consequences (e.g. losing control, having a heart attack, "going crazy")
(c) a significant change in behavior related to the attacks

B. The presence of Agoraphobia.

C. The Panic Attacks are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g. a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g. hyperthyroidism).

D. The Panic Attacks are not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g. occurring on exposure to feared social situations), Specific Phobia (e.g. on exposure to a specific phobic situation), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g. on exposure to dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (e.g. in response to stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g. in response to being away from home or close relatives).

Based on the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition APA

Also: Panic Disorder, Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia

The online Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists most of the major psychological disorders and illnesses and lists the criteria that must be fulfilled in order for a diagnosis to be made. This resource is not a substitute for proper professional psychiatric diagnosis.