Resumen

• Characterised by recurring cued or uncued panic attacks, worry about future attacks over a 1-month period, and changes in behaviour as a consequence of the attacks.
• Higher risk among first-degree relatives; onset of attacks triggered by stress; often comorbid with other anxiety, mood, and substance-use disorders.
• Assessment is made through ruling out organic causes; self-report; clinical interview; and behavioural observation.
• Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reuptake inhibitors, and cognitive behavioural psychotherapy are first-line treatments; benzodiazepines may be used cautiously in patients without comorbid depression.
• Long-term management includes relapse prevention after treatment discontinuation.