Pharmacotherapy of social phobia

The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) was developed to help clinicians evaluate data by examining fear and avoidance together in order to provide a fuller understanding of anxiety disorders. A number of pharmacologic agents have been studied in social phobia, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors, tricyclics, and benzodiazepines. This paper reviews the findings of several open and double-blind clinical trials using the LSAS and other measures. Promising results have been achieved with some pharmacologic agents, although further controlled trials are necessary.