Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

As with depressive disorders, the two most common treatments for anxiety are psychotropic medication and psychotherapy, either individually or in conjunction. Psychotherapy is often the preferred first line of treatment unless the youth is a danger to self or others or is significantly unable to function. This chapter provides an overview of the classes of antianxiety and antidepressant medications (i.e., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines) used for treating different anxiety disorders along with brief information on their side effects. Descriptions are provided of the core components of curriculum and non-curriculum evidence-based and promising practices, including child–parent psychotherapy, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, and two computerized therapies. The chapter ends by revisiting the case studies from Chapter 7, reviewing the actual outcomes of the cases and posing questions to prompt further discussion.