A combination of SSRI antidepressants and cognitive-behavioural therapy is the best treatment for social anxiety disorder, a new study concludes.
Brain scans showed that the combined therapy reduced the neural response in the amygdala — part of the brain central to processing fear and anxiety.
Social anxiety disorder is thought to affect around 1 in 8 people, and is more than just being shy.
The condition often strikes at important moments in people’s life and usually leads to a significant reduction in their quality of life.
The study compared people with social anxiety who received therapy plus antidepressants with those receiving therapy plus a placebo.
Nine weeks after treatment, those who had taken the antidepressant combined with the therapy were doing better.
They were even more improved compared with the other group 15 months later.
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Category(s):Social Anxiety / Phobia
Source material from PsyBlog
