Panic Disorder Severity Scale
Use the Panic Disorder Severity Scale to gauge the symptoms of Panic Disorder in patients or yourself. Learn more about it through this guide.
Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.
What is Panic Disorder?
Before we discuss the specifics of the , let’s briefly discuss what Panic Disorder is.
Panic Disorder is a strain of Anxiety Disorder. A person who has Panic Disorder will, unfortunately, go through episodes where they experience intense fear and discomfort. These episodes are referred to as panic attacks. These attacks are recurring, and the frequency and severity of attacks will depend on how adverse the disorder is. Not only that, but these attacks usually happen out of the blue and often without any triggers. This makes it a horrible ordeal for anyone with the disorder, and they tend to fear having more panic attacks, increasing stress and disrupting their daily lives.
Those who suffer panic attacks will usually experience the following symptoms during the attacks:
- Feeling detached from reality
- Expect the worst things to happen
- They have shortness of breath
- Their heart beats fast and rapidly
- They feel chest pain, or at least feel their chest tighten
- They become dizzy
- They tremble
- They sweat profusely
Those with Panic Disorder will experience these symptoms for several minutes before they gradually disappear.
Printable Panic Disorder Severity Scale
Download this Panic Disorder Severity Scale to assess clients effectively.
How to use the Panic Disorder Severity Scale
The Panic Disorder Severity Scale is a clinical tool used to gauge how severe a patient’s panic attacks are, specifically panic attacks they’ve experienced recently. The scale begins with a definition of a panic attack and then mentions that at least four symptoms normally accompany a panic attack. The symptoms are listed below the instructions.
The scale also mentions that for an attack to be considered a panic attack, its accompanying symptoms must peak within ten minutes. If the attack is accompanied by less than four symptoms listed in the instructions, it is considered a limited symptom attack.
After reading the instructions, patients or those engaging with the scale will answer seven questions:
- How many panic and limited symptoms attacks did you have during the week?
- If you had any panic attacks during the past week, how distressing (uncomfortable, frightening) were they while they were happening? (If you had more than one, give an average rating. If you didn’t have any panic attacks but did have limited symptom attacks, the answer for the limited symptom attacks.)
- During the past week, how much have you worried or felt anxious about when your next panic attack would occur or about fears related to the attacks (for example, that they could mean you have physical or mental health problems or could cause you social embarrassment)?
- During the past week, were there any places or situations (e.g., public transportation, movie theaters, crowds, bridges, tunnels, shopping malls, being alone) you avoided, or felt afraid of (uncomfortable in, wanted to avoid, or leave), because of fear of having a panic attack? Are there any other situations that you would have avoided or been afraid of if they had come up during the week, for the same reason? If yes to either question, please rate your level of fear and avoidance this past week.
- During the past week, were there any activities (e.g., physical exertion, sexual relations, taking a hot shower or bath, drinking coffee, watching an exciting or scary movie) that you avoided, or felt afraid of (uncomfortable doing, wanted to avoid or stop), because they caused physical sensations like those you feel during panic attacks or that you were afraid might trigger a panic attack? Are there any other activities that you would have avoided or been afraid of if they had come up during the week for that reason? If yes to either question, please rate your level of fear and avoidance of those activities this past week.
- During the past week, how much did the above symptoms altogether (panic and limited symptom attacks, worry about attacks, and fear of situations and activities because of attacks) interfere with your ability to work or carry out your responsibilities at home? (If your work or home responsibilities were less than usual this past week, answer how you think you would have done if the responsibilities had been usual.)
- During the past week, how much did panic and limited symptom attacks, worry about attacks and fear of situations and activities because of attacks interfere with your social life? (If you didn’t have many opportunities to socialize this past week, answer how you think you would have done if you did have opportunities.)
Each of these items has five answer options, each with corresponding points. The person engaging with the scale simply has to pick the answer that best represents their recent bouts with panic attacks.
The maximum score a person can get is 28. If a person gets a score of 9 or higher, it’s best to have them undergo a formal diagnostic assessment.
Panic Disorder Severity Scale Example
Now that you know what Panic Disorder is, what the Panic Disorder Severity Scale is, what it asks, how it’s answered, and how it’s scored, it’s time to see what it looks like. Our Panic Disorder Severity Scale template is an exact copy of the original scale. We only added radio buttons to accommodate healthcare professionals who have gone paperless or non-professionals who stumbled upon this guide to answer for themselves.
If you like what you see and believe this is a good tool to gauge the severity of panic attacks that your patients experience, feel free to download our free Panic Disorder Severity Scale PDF template. Do note that this is for clinical and research purposes only. If you’re using this for other purposes, please get in touch with M. Katherine Shear, M.D., the copyright holder for this scale.
Download this Panic Disorder Severity Scale Example:
When is it best to use the Panic Disorder Severity Scale?
If you’re wondering when it is best to use the Panic Disorder Severity Scale, well, that depends on who you are.
If you’re a non-professional who stumbled upon this guide and downloaded the template, you can use it anytime. The Panic Disorder Severity Scale also works as a self-report assessment. If you have been having panic attacks and the scores reflect that your attacks have been terrible, it’s best to see a professional so you can undergo a diagnostic process and get diagnosed accordingly. While you are allowed to answer this scale independently given its nature as a self-report scale, under no circumstance should you use it to diagnose yourself with Panic Disorder.
Now, if you are a healthcare professional who deals with patients who have Panic Disorder, you can use this scale to assess those who already have Panic Disorder or those who have yet to be diagnosed. If you’re going to use this, it’s best to explain what this scale is and its purpose. If your patient is fine with you assessing them using the scale, that’s your signal to do so.
Remember that the patient can decide not to be assessed using the scale. It’s best to explain things well so they can agree to be assessed using it. If your patient has already been diagnosed before, then this scale can simply help you determine what symptoms to address when making a treatment plan. If they haven’t been diagnosed, this scale can mark the beginning of the diagnostic process.
What are the benefits of using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale?
It can help professionals diagnose Panic Disorder.
The Panic Disorder Severity Scale is not precisely a diagnostic tool, but it will aid in the process should it be used on a patient who hasn’t been diagnosed. The answers and the score of the patient can be incorporated with the results of other components of a diagnostic evaluation, like blood test results, electrocardiogram results, physical exam results, and information obtained during a psychological evaluation. All of these will be used and cross-checked with the criteria for Panic Disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
It can help guide treatment decisions.
The Panic Disorder Severity Scale aims to examine specific aspects of panic attacks, like how frequently a person tends to experience them, how distressing they are, how often the person fears the next panic attack if they fear going to certain places because of the possibility that they might have a panic attack, and more. The results can help professionals determine what to focus on when tailor-fitting a treatment plan for the patient.
It can be used to monitor their symptoms over time.
Using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale doesn’t have to be a one-time, big-time thing. Once the patient has been diagnosed and a treatment plan has been implemented, you can use the Panic Disorder Severity Scale during routine checkups. Your treatment plan should focus on helping the patient manage their symptoms better, so if your plan is working, the raw score of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale should be lower than the first. If not, you probably have to wait a little longer for more favorable results to start showing or make adjustments to the plan and see if the changes do the trick.
Commonly asked questions
Yes. It works as a self-report scale, so feel free to use it! Just don’t self-diagnose. If your panic attacks have been frequent and have negatively impacted your mental well-being and daily life, please see a professional.
It can be answered within five minutes.
No. It’s a tool that’s used to gauge the symptoms of Panic Disorder. A comprehensive evaluation is needed to diagnose a person with Panic Disorder.
