Throughout our lives, we’ve all had moments where we’ve felt anxious. Starting a new job, attending a social event solo, or waiting for important news can bring fear and worry. While these feelings are relatable to many of us, anxiety disorders take them and turn up the heat to a degree that leaves us distressed (1-3). This can then make it difficult to navigate daily life (1).
If you live with an anxiety disorder, you’re not alone! Did you know that over 350 million people are impacted by anxiety disorders? In fact, they’re the most prevalent mental disorders globally. But, despite how common anxiety disorders are, only one quarter of the people living with them get treated (1). This highlights the importance of increasing awareness about these disorders, both for the purpose of introducing people to effective treatment options and reducing stigma.
Medications and psychological therapies, either alone or in combination with one another, are available treatments for anxiety disorders (2). Today, let’s take the time to focus on what the research says about medications, namely antidepressants. That’s right, medications used to treat depression are also the “go-to” medications for treating anxiety disorders (2;4). A recent systematic review walks us through new evidence to help us better understand the effectiveness of antidepressants in people living with generalized anxiety disorder (2).
What the research tells us
The review’s main outcome of interest was treatment response. This was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, which assesses 14 physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety—like tension, fear, and insomnia (2;5). The scale evaluates how severe each symptom is to determine a person’s overall level of anxiety, which is represented by a numerical score. Comparing the scores before and after treatment initiation helps figure out whether the treatment had an impact on anxiety-related symptoms (5). A reduction in score of 50% or higher means a positive impact was seen, in other words there was a “response” to the treatment (2;5).
Ultimately, the review found that compared to placebo, antidepressants enhanced treatment response in people living with generalized anxiety disorder. This means antidepressants were better at decreasing anxiety. Then there’s the question of which strategy was more accepted by study participants. On one hand, participants receiving antidepressants most commonly quit the studies they were involved in early because of negative side effects. On the other hand, participants receiving placebo most commonly quit the studies they were involved in early because they weren’t seeing results. But overall, there was a similar level of acceptability in the antidepressant and placebo groups. Luckily, all the results were based on high-certainty evidence, meaning we can be very confident in the findings (2).
Remember, it’s important to be aware of all your medication and non-medication-based treatment options, as well as their pros and cons. Together with your healthcare team, you can craft a tailored treatment plan that works best for you.
