Panic attacks are psychopathological phenomena with a strong emotional component that often induce an adaptive response with anticipatory anxiety and phobic avoidance. There are evidences of the presence of biases in emotional processing in patients with panic disorder. The aims of this study were to compare Emotional Intelligence (EI) between patients with PD and control subjects and to investigate if this construct is related to the severity of agoraphobia.

Fifty-one patients with PD and 50 healthy controls were assessed for their EI with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Scale and their phobic avoidance with the Mobility Inventory for Agoraphobia. Data were analysed by not parametric statics.

The Strategic Emotional Intelligence area showed lower scores in patients with PD compared to healthy controls (median 80 vs 84.9, z =-3.37, p<.0008). Among the subscales of this area, this difference was significant (median 80 vs 85.3, z =-2.61, p<.009) for the “Understanding emotions” branch. The severity of agoraphobia correlated with the “Facilitating thought with emotion” branch of Experiential EI area.

Patients with PD show a lower strategic EI. Some aspect of experiential EI seem to be related to the severity of agoraphobia. A training focused on the development of the strategic component of emotional intelligence might help patients with PD.

Mayer J., Caruso D., Salovey P. Emotional Intelligence Meets Traditional Standards for an Intelligence. Intelligence 2000; 27: 267–298.