RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders in the Unite d States. In the past 3 decades, substantial advances have been made i n the ability to identify and treat anxiety disorders including panic disorder (PD), social phobia (SP), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) , generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorde r (PTSD). It is now known that these common, usually chronic disorders confer significant disability to untreated sufferers. This overview h ighlights some of the important advances in pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders. Evidence for efficacy of the various pharmacolog ical agents (including relevant oral dosing and plasma level data) and of acute and long-term treatment, and the disadvantages of medication treatment are discussed. Finally, some important clinical questions r emaining to be addressed by psychopharmacological research are reviewe d.