Serotonergic drugs in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders

Serotonergic dysfunction has been implicated in the aetiology of several psychiatric conditions, including depressive and anxiety disorders. Much of the evidence for the role of serotonin (5-HT) in these disorders comes from treatment studies with serotonergic drugs, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 5-HT(1A) agonists and 5-HT antagonists. This review considers the place of these drugs in the treatment of panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Among these agents, the SSRIs stand out with proven efficacy in the treatment of a spectrum of disorders, such as depression, panic disorder, OCD and social phobia. They may also be a suitable treatment for GAD. 5-HT(1A) agonists have been used extensively for the treatment of depression and GAD but evidence of their efficacy in other anxiety disorders is equivocal. 5-HT antagonists are the least well studied of these agents: while they may have activity in depression, their efficacy has not been fully investigated in anxiety disorders. However, preliminary reports suggest that they may be useful as adjuvants to SSRIs in treatment-refractory OCD. The high incidence of comorbidity amongst psychiatric disorders means that pharmacotherapy that is effective against a range of disorders, such as the SSRIs, is of considerable use to clinicians. Future research into the biological mechanisms underlying such disorders is likely to further enhance pharmacotherapy. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.