title: Multidimensional effects of sertraline in social anxiety disorder.
abstract: Clinical trials of social anxiety disorder (SAD) have largely focused on the effect of treatment on symptoms of fear and avoidance, while neglecting the third clinically relevant dimension, physiological arousal. Data were combined from two previously reported placebo-controlled trials of sertraline in the treatment of moderate-to-severe generalized SAD. Efficacy was evaluated using the Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS). Three hundred forty-six subjects were randomized to 12-13 weeks of treatment with sertraline and 273 subjects to placebo. Following treatment, significant improvement was noted in favor of sertraline on the full BSPS (P < .001), as well as on each of the individual BSPS subscales: fear (P = .001); avoidance (P < .0001); and physiological arousal (P < .0001). Of the physiological symptoms assessed, the treatment advantage with sertraline was maintained for blushing (P < .003) and palpitations (P < .03), but not for trembling and sweating. These results confirm the efficacy of treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), sertraline, across the spectrum of fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal in generalized SAD (GSAD). Among common physiological symptoms in this population, blushing and palpitations appear more treatment responsive than trembling and sweating to acute treatment with sertraline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. kathryn.connor@duke.edu
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Jonathan R T
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Ruoyong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Cathryn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Clary
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline