Capturing the Dynamics of Panic Disorder. A System Dynamics Translation of the Contemporary Biological and Psychological Conceptualization of Panic Disorder

Abstract

The present study undertakes a full system dynamics (SD) translation of the contemporary biological and psychological conceptualizations of panic disorder (PD). It makes explicit the dynamic processes implicit in the narrative presentations in the literature. It shows that the proposed structure in the PD theories is capable of generating the expected panic behaviour. However, it highlights some interesting grey areas" in these theories that need further research. Finally, it serves as a facilitator for the discussion about PD for it provides an easy-to-understand illustrative language for the researchers of different fields to critically examine the biological, psychological, social and cognitive aspects of PD.