Cognitive changes in health locus of control attributions after behavioral analysis in patients with panic disorder and/or agoraphobia

Patients with Panic Disorder and / or Agoraphobia (PD +/- Ag) attribute their mental health more to external factors and less to internal, while after behavior treatment (BT) their external attributions decrease and internal attributions increase. We examined whether these cognitive changes observed at the end of BT, begin earlier. Forty patients with PD +/- Ag were assessed on the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, before and after the diagnostic and psychoeducational sessions that precede the clinical implementation of BT. Decreased health attributions to significant others (t = 4.22, p < 0.01), and an increase trend to self (t = -0.78, p = 0.43) were observed, which are compatible with the active role patients need to adopt in the clinical application of BT.