[Usefulness of antidepressants in anxiety disorders].
This article deals with four anxiety disorders particularly frequent in the population as well as in general practice: panic disorder, specific phobias, social phobia and generalized anxiety. After a brief description of their clinical characteristics and prevalence, it provides the general principles of treatment and mainly the specific role of antidepressants. Finally, for each disorder, a treatment algorithm based on available guidelines is proposed. Schematically, antidepressants and particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors exhibit a usefulness assessed as important in panic disorder, moderate in generalized anxiety, weak in social phobia and absent in specific phobias.
Ansseau
M
M
Service de psychiatrie et de psychologie médicale, CHU SartTilman, B-4000 Lieège. marc.ansseau@chu.ulg.ac.be
D000465:Algorithms; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans
D000928:Antidepressive Agents