New Advances in the Management of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and associated with significant symptomatic distress, increased morbidity, and increased mortality. Although efficacious pharmacologic and psychosocial therapies for anxiety disorders are available, many patients who improve with treatment remain at least somewhat symptomatic. This article reviews the epidemiology, phenomenology, and associated complications of panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Recent guidelines developed for application in the assessment of outcome of anxiety disorders are discussed, and illustrative data from several treatment trials integrating remission data in outcome assessment are examined.