Pharmacotherapy of social anxiety disorder.

A range of medications have been shown effective for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. The largest trials to date have been with various selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Several of these agents have been registered for the treatment of social anxiety disorder with agencies such as the FDA or EMEA, meta-analyses confirm their efficacy and safety, and expert consensus guidelines have often recommended them as a first-line pharmacotherapy of choice. Despite such advances, there are many unanswered questions in the pharmacotherapy of social anxiety disorder, including the optimal pharmacotherapy of patients refractory to first-line intervention, and the optimal sequencing of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Translational research has already had an impact on concepts of treatment, and may ultimately lead to novel interventions.