Related Experiment Videos
Antidepressants for generalized anxiety disorder.
F Kapczinski1, M S Lima, J S Souza
1Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Departamento de Medicinal Legal e Psiquiatria - HCPA - UFRGS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90035-003. kapcz@terra.com.br
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|June 14, 2003
Summary
Antidepressants are more effective than placebo for treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). These medications are well-tolerated and show promising results, especially in younger populations.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is commonly treated with benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine anxiolytics.
- Antidepressants are increasingly recognized as effective alternatives for GAD treatment.
- High comorbidity of GAD with major depressive disorder and dysthymia supports the use of antidepressants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of antidepressant medications for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
- To compare antidepressants with placebo in GAD treatment.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to May 2002.
- Searches included major databases (CCDANCTR, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, LILACS) and reference searching.
- Data extraction and analysis focused on relative risks and number needed to treat (NNT), excluding studies with comorbid Axis I disorders.
Main Results:
- Antidepressants (imipramine, venlafaxine, paroxetine) demonstrated superiority over placebo in treating GAD, with an NNT of 5.15.
- Dropout rates were comparable between antidepressant groups.
- One study indicated promising results for sertraline in children and adolescents with GAD.
Conclusions:
- Antidepressants are effective and well-tolerated treatments for GAD, outperforming placebo.
- Paroxetine and imipramine show similar efficacy and tolerability.
- Further research is needed to determine optimal antidepressant selection for specific patient profiles in GAD treatment.