SSRIs May Be Most Effective in Reducing Pediatric Anxiety Disorders – Psychiatry Advisor

SSRIs appeared most effective for overall response and anxiety symptom reduction in pediatric anxiety disorders, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Investigators conducted a systematic review of online databases to identify double-blind, controlled trials of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of pediatric patients with generalized, social, and/or separation anxiety disorders. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were published between 1966 and September 2017 and assessed anxiety severity with a validated rating scale. From selected studies, investigators abstracted data on patient demographics, anxiety symptom severity and improvement, all-cause discontinuation, discontinuation because of an adverse event, and treatment-emergent suicidality. A random-effects network meta-analysis was conducted to compare efficacy and tolerability across medications. Risk for bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and funnel plots for each efficacy and tolerability measure were created to capture publication bias.

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