ROLE OF SEROTONIN DRUGS IN THE TREATMENT OF SOCIAL PHOBIA

Social phobia is a common anxiety disorder that is underdiagnosed and undertreated. To date, three classes of serotonin drugs have been used to treat patients suffering from social phobia. These include the ser otonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the partial 5-HT1A agoni st buspirone, and the 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron. Although none of t he serotonin agents have yet been directly compared with the gold stan dard monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine or the high potency triazo lobenzodiazepines alprazolam or clonazepam, the SSRIs, as a class, app ear to be clinically useful agents. Further studies using larger sampl e sizes and double-blind methodology are needed to clarify the role of serotonin drugs in the treatment of social phobia.