Pharmacological Treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Current Practice and Future Directions.
Expert review of neurotherapeutics June 1, 2023 Harry A Fagan, David S Baldwin 55 citations
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is common and characterized by excessive worry. Current treatments include pharmacological and psychological options, but many patients do not respond to first-line drugs. This review covers diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, and effective medications such as duloxetine, escitalopram, pregabalin, quetiapine, and venlafaxine. It also discusses treatment guidelines, management of treatment resistance, and special considerations for older adults and children. Evidence for further pharmacological management after initial treatment failure is limited. Many novel anxiolytics have entered clinical trials, but translation from animal models has mostly been unsuccessful. Compounds including certain psychedelics, ketamine, oxytocin, and agents modulating the orexin, endocannabinoid, and immune systems show potential for further study.