Panic disorder is diagnosed through a psychological evaluation performed by a clinician after ruling out other potential symptom causes such as medication, drugs, other anxiety disorders, or other medical conditions.[1] The psychological evaluation is typically based on diagnostic criteria set by a publication such as the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the World Health Organization’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).
The diagnostic criteria for panic disorder in the 5th edition of the DSM are as follows: recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, at least one of which must have been followed by a month or more of worries about the panic attack(s) and/or by negative changes in behavior related to the attack. The diagnosis of panic disorder can only be made if the symptoms can't be better explained by the effects of a medication or drug, by another medical condition, or by another mental disorder.[2]