Pharmacologic treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders
The evidence base for the psychopharmacologic treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents has dramatically increased over the past two decades. Current data suggest that, for fear-based anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are well tolerated and efficacious. However, SSRIs may work more rapidly than SNRIs and the salutary effects of SSRIs and SNRIs in children and adolescents are amplified by the addition of psychotherapy. Finally, given that some children and adolescents may exhibit partial response to current pharmacotherapies, benzodiazepines, antihistamines, alpha-2 agonists, and other agents may have adjunctive roles, despite a lack of data in terms of large, randomized controlled trials.
