Citalopram in Treatment of Pregnant Women With Panic Disorder: A Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate efficacy of citalopram in pregnant women with panic disorder.

METHODS

The study data with 22 patients were retrospectively collected from clinical registers. The study was conducted in patients with and without comorbid major depression. The patients were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety.

FINDINGS: The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety scores were significantly reduced after treatment with citalopram at 20 mg/d for 8 weeks. The response rate based on Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale was 68.2%. Patients with comorbid major depression seemed to have a lower response rate compared with nondepressed patients.

IMPLICATIONS: The current study suggests that citalopram may be beneficial for in pregnant women with panic disorder.