Description

The Panic Attack Questionnaire (TPAQ-23) is a self-report assessment instrument designed to evaluate different aspects of the phenomenology of panic attacks. The questionnaire provides participants with a definition of panic attacks based on DSM-III criteria, ensuring a common understanding of the construct being assessed.

The instrument collects information regarding the frequency of panic attacks, the contexts in which they occur, and the intensity of experienced symptoms.

Objective

The main objective of the TPAQ-23 is to assess panic attacks through the evaluation of panic characteristics, symptoms, cognitive experiences, triggering factors, and coping strategies.

The questionnaire is used as a structured self-assessment tool to provide a comprehensive understanding of the individual’s experience of panic episodes.

Structure and Content

The TPAQ-23 includes different types of questions designed to assess multiple dimensions of panic attacks.

The questionnaire examines:

The occurrence and frequency of panic attacks.

The context and circumstances in which panic episodes appear.

The intensity of physical and psychological symptoms.

The individual’s perceptions, triggers, and coping responses.

Scoring Method

The scoring system varies according to the purpose of each section of the questionnaire.

The first section provides the definition of panic attacks, allowing respondents to answer based on a common conceptual framework.

Questions 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 23 are answered using a yes/no format, while questions 3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 20, and 22 are open-ended questions.

Questions 5 and 6 assess the frequency of three types of panic attacks: the most recent attack, the worst attack, and a typical panic attack.

Question 7 evaluates symptom intensity during panic attacks using a scale:

0 = Not present
1 = Mild
2 = Moderate
3 = Severe
4 = Very severe.

Question 8 is rated on a scale from 0 (no anxiety) to 8 (extreme anxiety). Questions 13 and 14 are also scored on a 0–4 scale.

Questions 16–17 are rated from 0 = no control to 10 = complete control, questions 18–19 from 1 to 5, and question 21 from 1 = completely ineffective to 5 = completely effective.

Data Analysis and Use

The TPAQ-23 data can be analysed to examine the characteristics and severity of panic attacks, including symptom intensity, frequency, perceived control, and coping effectiveness.

The questionnaire may be used in clinical assessment, psychological research, and studies investigating panic symptoms and related anxiety phenomena.

Validity and Reliability

The evaluation of the TPAQ-23 focuses on its ability to capture different dimensions of panic attack experiences through structured self-report assessment.

Psychometric investigation may include reliability analysis, examination of symptom dimensions, and correlations with other anxiety-related measures.

Applications

The Panic Attack Questionnaire can be applied in clinical psychology, psychiatry, anxiety research, and therapeutic assessment.

It provides clinicians and researchers with detailed information regarding panic episodes and may support diagnosis, treatment planning, and evaluation of therapeutic outcomes.

References

Norton, G. R., Harrison, B., Hauch, J., & Rhodes, L. (1985). Characteristics of people with infrequent panic attacks. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 94, 216–221.