Introduction
agoraphobia, agoraphobic, Agoraphobia, anxiety, Anxiety, panic disorder, Panic disorder, panic, F41.0, depression, anxiety-related disorders
DISORDER, EVENT, DISEASE, DISORDERS
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a 25.6% increase (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 23.2–28.0) in cases of anxiety disorders worldwide in 2020 [Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks. Agoraphobia refers to avoidance or endurance with dread of situations from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack. Typical agoraphobic situations include shopping malls, theatres, traveling by bus, crowded restaurants, and being alone [Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) shows strong effectiveness for a variety of mental illnesses, including anxiety-related disorders [The PARADIES (“Patient Activation foR Anxiety DIsordErS”) trial, a two-armed cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT), was conducted between 2012 and 2016 in the German federal states of Bavaria, Hesse, and Thuringia in rural or urban general practitioners (GPs) practices [There are few studies only that follow up the effectiveness of CBT for patients with anxiety disorders over a longer period of time (> 2 years) [The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the positive effects of a practice team-based intervention ("PARADIES") with elements of CBT for primary care patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (ICD-10: F41.0 or F40.01) still hold up five years after its end in the context of a natural crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. For this reason, we assessed anxiety and depression related clinical parameters in a sample of the original study population in order to measure potential long-term success.