Thought Field Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for Agoraphobia

Thought field therapy is an alternative treatment method that has shown, by casuistic reports, to give good results when applied for anxiety disorders. In this study 72 patients will be randomized to three groups. 24 patients will receive cognitive therapy as a control method, 24 patients will receive thought field therapy. The remaining 24 patients will wait three months, and then be randomized to either of the two therapies.

Before inclusion all patients will be diagnosed with M.I.N.I. and SCID II. They will fill out self evaluation forms for symptoms and quality of life, before and after treatment, and one year after treatment.

All patients will undergo an interview with ADIS on panic and agoraphobic diagnosis and symptoms before starting treatment, and on panic and agoraphobic symptoms immediately after and one year after treatment. These interviews will be done by psychologists who are blinded for which type of treatment the patients have got.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients ages 18 years or older,
• Patients with agoraphobia,
• Patients with a score on Mobility Inventory "Alone" of 2.5 or more,
• Patients who give a written consent to participate.

Exclusion criteria

• Psychosis (past or present),
• Drug abuse or dependency,
• Moderate or high score on suicidal behaviour on the M.I.N.I.,
• Patients who have another illness (other than panic disorder or agoraphobia) and are in need of immediate treatment.