[특집] 범불안장애 약물치료의 최신 경향

Recent Advances in the Pharmaeotherapy of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), that has been introduced into psychiatric nosology in DSM-III, is characterized by chronic worry that may persist for many years. Pharmacological treatment for GAD includes benzodiazepines, buspirone, and antidepressants. Benzodiazepine have commonly been used for treatment of acute anxiety disorders, but they arc not ideal in the treatment of chronic generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Buspirone appears to exert benefit primarily on psychic symptoms of anxiety, but the effect of buspirone is slower in onset, taking at least 2 weeks to become evident. Recently, new antidepressants has opened up a new area of investigation into pharmacotherapy of GAD, with a growing body of evidence supporting the role of therapies such as paroxetine and venlafaxine extended release. At present. some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as paroxetine and venlafaxine arc recommended for the best evidence-based approach in the long-term treatment of GAD.