Treatment of anxiety disorders to remission.
Treating anxiety disorders to remission should be the goal of all practitioners. A remitted patient should be well, both in symptoms and function, and be indistinguishable from a never-ill counterpart. The definition of remission in patients with anxiety disorders should also be clear, practical, and easy to use. It is useful to measure response in an objective way, such as with standardized instruments appropriate for the disorder, and to develop remission criteria specific to each disorder. This article proposes remission criteria, using standardized measures, for 5 common anxiety disorders: panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Ballenger
J C
JC
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome