Hi. I am a student at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and am currently doing research on treatments for panic disorder. My hope is that internet-based CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can be shown to effectively treat people suffering from panic disorder, since it could offer a valuable alternative to face-to-face CBT (which is more expensive, time-consuming and obviously involves leaving the house and travelling)

My research question is as follows: “Is internet-based CBT as effective as face-to-face CBT in treating panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia)?”

I would very much appreciate it if you could quickly give your views on this and answer a few questions…

(Please keep in mind that face-to-face CBT therapy would include the assisted use of a manualized CBT programme, over a period of 12 weeks. Participants would attend one hour weekly treatment session with an allocated psychologist. The internet-based CBT would consist of a structured programme, with different modules that needed to be completed. Psychologists that are trained in CBT for panic disorder would make contact via e-mail with the participants assigned to them, and guide each participant through the internet-based programme.)

If you have panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia)…
Would you be willing to take part in the study?
Have you ever tried out either internet-based CBT or face-to-face CBT?
If so, what was the outcome?
If not, do you think either of the two measures could possibly alleviate or offer a solution for your panic disorder?
Do you think that one measure would be more likely to be more effective than the other?