Treatment of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder/agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and others) are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, and are associated with a high burden of illness. Anxiety disorders are often underrecognized and undertreated in primary care. Treatment is indicated when a patient shows marked distress or suffers from complications resulting from the disorder. The treatment recommendations given in this article are based on guidelines, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews of randomized controlled studies. Anxiety disorders should be treated with psychological therapy, pharmacotherapy, or a combination of both. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be regarded as the psychotherapy with the highest level of evidence. First-line drugs are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Benzodiazepines are not recommended for routine use. Other treatment options include pregabalin, tricyclic antidepressants, buspirone, moclobemide, and others. After remission, medications should be continued for 6 to 12 months. When developing a treatment plan, efficacy, adverse effects, interactions, costs, and the preference of the patient should be considered.
['Bandelow|Borwin|B|', 'Michaelis|Sophie|S|', 'Wedekind|Dirk|D|']
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents D001008:Anxiety Disorders D001569:Benzodiazepines D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy D006801:Humans D011613:Psychotherapy D017367:Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
treatment generalized anxiety disorder panic disorder social anxiety disorder psychotherapy drug treatment