Medications for Anxiety Disorders

There has been an exponential increase in the number of medications demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of anxiety and anxiety disorders. This chapter provides a brief review of the history and evolution of psychopharmacologic strategies. Data for efficacy and adverse effects of these medications for different anxiety disorders are presented based on clinical trial reports so that the reader can compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of different classes of medications for treatment of each anxiety disorder described in the International Classification of Diseases and the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders over the past three decades. Specifically, this chapter describes current evidence of medications for anxiety disorders for five disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. For some drugs, this chapter includes the “Special Populations” sections that show evidence specific to children, adolescents, and elderly patients if available. This chapter also provides a table that summarizes the efficacy of each drug for these five disorders. The other table summarizes pharmacological properties of medications commonly used to treat anxiety disorders. At present, clinicians have a wide array of medications available for the treatment of anxiety and anxiety disorders. The breadth of accessible treatment options greatly facilitates our ability to help patients. Nevertheless, appropriate diagnosis and rapport are still the foundations of any pharmacological intervention that is made with the patients.