Vladan Starcevic1. 1. Discipline of Psychological Medicine, University of Sydney, and Nepean Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia. starcev@wahs.nsw.gov.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To review the most salient issues in the pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders. These pertain to means of achieving greater efficacy, accelerating the onset of therapeutic action, improving side-effect profile and tolerability, decreasing the propensity to induce therapeutic dependence and achieving better long-term outcome. CONCLUSIONS: By and large, pharmacological agents with greater efficacy in anxiety disorders have yet to be developed. Several strategies have been used with some success to make medications for anxiety disorders work faster and to lessen their side-effect burden. The field of psychopharmacology has yet to find ways of lessening or eliminating the problem of therapeutic drug dependence and, even more so, of minimizing the risk of relapse following the cessation of medication.
OBJECTIVE: To review the most salient issues in the pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders. These pertain to means of achieving greater efficacy, accelerating the onset of therapeutic action, improving side-effect profile and tolerability, decreasing the propensity to induce therapeutic dependence and achieving better long-term outcome. CONCLUSIONS: By and large, pharmacological agents with greater efficacy in anxiety disorders have yet to be developed. Several strategies have been used with some success to make medications for anxiety disorders work faster and to lessen their side-effect burden. The field of psychopharmacology has yet to find ways of lessening or eliminating the problem of therapeutic drug dependence and, even more so, of minimizing the risk of relapse following the cessation of medication.
Authors: Carmen Mannucci; Fabrizio Calapai; Luigi Cardia; Giuseppina Inferrera; Giovanni D'Arena; Martina Di Pietro; Michele Navarra; Sebastiano Gangemi; Elvira Ventura Spagnolo; Gioacchino Calapai Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2018-12-02 Impact factor: 2.629