title: Mirtazapine treatment of social phobia in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
abstract: Social phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme fear and phobic avoidance of social and performance situations and by a relatively poor health-related quality of life. The goal of this study was to compare the efficacy of mirtazapine versus placebo in the treatment of patients with social phobia. In 2004, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of mirtazapine in 66 female subjects from the general population meeting the criteria for social phobia. The subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1 manner to mirtazapine (n = 33) or placebo (n = 33). The treatment lasted 10 weeks. Seven patients dropped out. Primary outcome measures were self-reported changes on the Social Phobia Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and Health Survey (SF-36). In comparison with the placebo group and according to the intent-to-treat principle, significant differences on the Social Phobia Inventory and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale scales (all P < 0.001), as well as on most (5 from 8) scales of SF-36 (all P < 0.001), were observed in the mirtazapine-treated subjects. All patients tolerated mirtazapine relatively well. Mirtazapine appears to be an effective agent in the treatment of social phobia in women and in the improvement of their health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muehlbacher
authors.forename: Marius K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: Cerstin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kettler
authors.forename: Claas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lahmann
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pedrosa Gil
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Leiberich
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rother
authors.forename: Egon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bachler
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fartacek
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tritt
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mitterlehner
authors.forename: Javaid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anvar
authors.forename: Wolfhardt K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Rother
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Loew
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Egger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008803:Mianserin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000078785:Mirtazapine; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008803:Mianserin; D000078785:Mirtazapine