Panic attack test (PHQ panic questions): a private 2-minute self-check

A panic attack is a sudden wave of intense fear with strong physical symptoms, such as a racing heart, chest pain, breathlessness, sweating or a fear of dying.⁵ Panic attacks are frightening but common. When attacks keep coming unexpectedly and you keep worrying about having another one, doctors call it panic disorder.⁴

These questions come from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), which doctors use to look for common mental health problems.¹ The first four ask about attacks of fear or panic in the last four weeks. The next eleven ask which body symptoms you had during your last bad attack.

Each question is answered YES or NO. Following the PHQ’s own scoring rule, your answers fit a panic-attack pattern (the PHQ calls it panic syndrome) when:²

• you answer YES to all four questions about attacks, and
• you answer YES to four or more of the eleven body symptoms.

The result shows which of these two groups your answers fall into, rather than a score. If you answer NO to the first question, the PHQ form says to stop there; you may still see the other questions, but they do not change the result. The PHQ manual adds that a diagnosis of panic disorder also needs a doctor to rule out a physical illness, a medicine or another drug as the cause.²

If your answers fit the pattern, panic attacks are a likely explanation for what you have been going through. It is not a diagnosis. Some heart and thyroid problems, and the effects of some medicines or other substances, can cause similar symptoms, so a doctor should check your physical health first.²

If your answers do not fit the pattern, your symptoms are still real. You may have had fewer symptoms, attacks that were expected rather than out of the blue, or a different kind of anxiety. A doctor can help you understand what is happening.

Panic attacks can be treated. Talking therapies based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) have the most evidence, and medicines can help some adults.³⁴

During an attack:

• Remind yourself that it will pass. Panic attacks feel dangerous, but they usually ease within minutes.⁵
• Breathe slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth, counting slowly as you breathe out.
• Stay where you are if it is safe, and focus on something around you, such as the feel of your feet on the floor.

Between attacks:

• Try not to avoid places or activities because of fear; avoiding them can keep the fear going.
• Look after the basics. Cutting down on alcohol, keeping regular sleep and being physically active can all reduce anxiety.⁴
• Learn about panic. Understanding the body’s alarm response can make attacks less frightening. Our article on what to do during a panic attack explains more.

Self-help is a recognised first step for panic disorder, and CBT is recommended when more help is needed.³

Also get emergency help for chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw or back, or that comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness.⁶

See a doctor soon if:

• you have had chest pain, fainting or a racing heart that has not been checked;
• panic attacks keep coming back, or you avoid places and activities because of them;
• you feel low or worried most of the time, or use alcohol or other substances to cope.

Once your physical health has been checked, a qualified professional — a BMDC-registered psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist — can assess the panic and plan treatment with you. Care is available in private practice and at public hospitals. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Our crisis help page lists more ways to get help.

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) was developed by Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B. W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues. In its main validation study in primary care, its diagnoses agreed well with those made by mental health professionals (overall accuracy 85% for any mental disorder).¹ The panic questions on this page are part of the full PHQ. No permission is needed to reproduce, translate, display or distribute it.

There is no official Bangla version of the PHQ panic questions yet. We never translate a validated questionnaire ourselves, so our Bangla page shows the English questions. A Bangla version will be added only when a properly translated and tested version is available.