Objectives: The purpose of this web-based study on anxiety and panic was to examine different coping styles and disease-specific Internet use in an online sample of panic attack sufferers. The online survey was mainly addressed to patients with panic disorder; however, it was expected that people who have experienced panic attacks due to other psychological or physical problems would participate as well.

Methods: The online study was promoted through links on German-speaking anxiety-related discussion boards and information sites. Besides the Panic Disorder Self-Report (PDSR) and several anxiety-specific questions, the online survey also included the Coping with Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ).

Results: From June until October 2008 the sites of the web-based survey were visited more than 5000 times. The preliminary analysis refers to 1631 panic attack sufferers, who provided complete data sets. The majority of this sample was female (78%), the mean age was 34 years (range 13-82). 82% had panic attacks during the last six month and 18% had experienced panic attacks more than six month ago. Asking if they knew which kind of anxiety disorder they suffered from, most of the participants pointed out to have "panic disorder" or "general anxiety disorder". In what concerns coping with panic, the strategies "effective coping" and "self-vigilance" were used more often than "avoidant coping". Besides family and friends, online platforms and newsgroups played an important role in getting support to cope with anxiety. Specific Internet information sites were perceived as crucial source of seeking information about anxiety.

Conclusions: The online sample's coping style seems to be active and reflects self-efficacy. The disease-specific Internet use shows that social and emotional support is obtained through web-based platforms; anxiety-related information is gained through medical and health information sites. The high participation rate in the Internet-based study and the numerous e-mails the authors got from participants giving positive feedback concerning this investigation indicate a great demand and acceptance of online research in the field of anxiety and panic.