Guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care

• Published in: International journal of psychiatry in clinical practice Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 77 - 84
• Main Authors: Bandelow, Borwin, Sher, Leo, Bunevicius, Robertas, Hollander, Eric, Kasper, Siegfried, Zohar, Joseph, Möller, Hans-Jürgen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa Healthcare 01.06.2012; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Anxiety disorders; Anxiety Disorders - drug therapy; Benzodiazepines - therapeutic use; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - analogs & derivatives; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - therapeutic use; generalized anxiety disorder; guidelines; Histamine Antagonists - therapeutic use; Humans; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - drug therapy; panic disorder; pharmacological treatment; Pregabalin; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; social anxiety disorder; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1365-1501; 1471-1788
• DOI: 10.3109/13651501.2012.667114

Abstract Objective. Anxiety disorders are frequently under-diagnosed conditions in primary care, although they can be managed effectively by general practitioners. Methods. This paper is a short and practical summary of the World Federation of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the treatment in primary care. The recommendations were developed by a task force of 30 international experts in the field and are based on randomized controlled studies. Results. First-line pharmacological treatments for these disorders are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (for all disorders), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (for some) and pregabalin (for generalized anxiety disorder only). A combination of medication and cognitive behavior/exposure therapy was shown to be a clinically desired treatment strategy. Conclusions. This short version of an evidence-based guideline may improve treatment of anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD in primary care.