Mirtazapine treatment of social phobia in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
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.
Muehlbacher
Moritz
M
University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria.
Nickel
Marius K
MK
Nickel
Cerstin
C
Kettler
Christian
C
Lahmann
Claas
C
Pedrosa Gil
Francisco
F
Leiberich
Peter K
PK
Rother
Nadine
N
Bachler
Egon
E
Fartacek
Reinhold
R
Kaplan
Patrick
P
Tritt
Karin
K
Mitterlehner
Ferdinand
F
Anvar
Javaid
J
Rother
Wolfhardt K
WK
Loew
Thomas H
TH
Egger
Christoph
C
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
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008803:Mianserin; D000078785:Mirtazapine