Effective short-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder with trifluoperazine.

The effectiveness of trifluoperazine in daily doses of 2 to 6 mg in the short-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder was evaluated in 415 outpatients in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Efficacy and side effects were assessed by a number of psychiatric rating scales for anxiety. All efficacy measurements of anxiety were significantly improved (p less than .001) with trifluoperazine compared to placebo by the end of the study. The side effects profile of trifluoperazine and placebo were similar during the 4-week treatment period.