Social Phobia: Drug Therapy

Therapy target

Improvement of symptomatology

Therapy recommendations

Further notes

  • In a network meta-analysis, subsequent therapy methods were presented for initial treatment versus the “waiting group”:
    • Pharmacologic therapy: significant effect compared with the waiting group was shown by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; have the higher evidence for this indication compared with subsequent pharmaceuticals)/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), benzodiazepines, and MAO inhibitors (phenelzine).
    • Psychotherapeutic treatment: significant effect compared with the waiting group was shown by behavioral individual therapy and group behavioral therapy. Here, individual therapy treatment had a greater effect than group therapy.
    • Combined treatment: combination of pharmacological and behavioral therapy treatment showed a significant treatment effect compared with the waiting group.

    CONCLUSION: For the initial treatment of adults with social phobia, maintenance therapy individual treatment, medication with SSRI/SNRI and a combination of both are equivalent.