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Sertraline for social phobia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study
D J Katzelnick1, K A Kobak, J H Greist
1Foundation for Health, Research and Education, Madison, WI 53717, USA.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|September 1, 1995
Summary
Sertraline effectively treats social phobia, significantly improving symptoms compared to placebo. Computer-based assessments were also preferred by most patients in this study.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Social phobia is a prevalent anxiety disorder.
- Effective pharmacological treatments are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of sertraline in treating social phobia.
- To compare computer-administered and clinician-administered assessments.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, crossover study design.
- 12 outpatients received sertraline (50-200 mg/day) and placebo for 10 weeks each.
- The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) was used for assessment.
Main Results:
- Sertraline showed a statistically significant improvement in LSAS scores compared to placebo.
- No significant difference was found between computer- and clinician-administered LSAS.
- Most patients preferred computer-based interviews.
Conclusions:
- Sertraline is a safe and effective treatment for social phobia.
- Computer-administered assessments may be a suitable alternative for socially phobic patients.