Analysis

The Panic Attack Questionnaire (PAQ) is a comprehensive tool designed to assess various aspects of the phenomenology of panic. It begins by providing respondents with a definition of panic attacks (according to the DSM-III) to establish a common understanding of the construct. From that point onward, participants proceed with self-assessment. The questionnaire gathers information on the frequency of participants’ panic attacks and the context in which they occurred, as well as the intensity of pain-related symptoms.

Purpose

The Panic Attack Questionnaire is a widely used self-report tool for evaluating panic attacks, including the characteristics of panic, symptoms, awareness, triggering factors, and coping strategies.

Calibration

The scoring of the questionnaire varies, as each section serves a different purpose. Specifically:
The first part presents the definition so that respondents can answer with a shared frame of reference.
Questions 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 23 are answered with “yes” or “no.”
Questions 3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 20, and 22 are open-ended.
Questions 5 and 6 address the frequency of three types of panic attacks (most recent, worst, and a typical panic attack).
In question 7, respondents rate how intensely they experience certain symptoms during the panic attacks described in questions 5 and 6, using the following scale:
0 = does not occur, 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 rated on a scale from 0 to 4.
Questions 16 and 17 are rated from 0 = no control to 10 = complete control.
Questions 18 and 19 are rated from 1 to 5.
Finally, question 21 is rated from 1 = completely ineffective to 5 = completely effective.

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.