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Use of antianxiety agents in anxious outpatients

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Abstract

The present paper reviews the role of antianxiety agents in the treatment of nonpsychotic anxious patients. Major emphasis is placed on findings from clinical trials conducted by this research group. Consideration is given to the relative efficacy of available antianxiety agents, to patient response in relation to patterns of symptomatology, and to the degree of symptom relief experienced by drug-treated anxious patients. Also discussed are some of the many nonspecific factors that affect improvement with drug treatment in general and with the benzodiazepines in particular. It is concluded that many anxious patients are not currently receiving adequate drug treatment, and may require longer periods of drug therapy or supplemental nondrug intervention.

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  1. The Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Karl Rickels

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  1. Karl Rickels
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This paper is an updated version of a presentation given at “Conference on Prescribing and Use of Anti-Anxiety Agents in Outpatients,” held at NIMH, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A., May 2 and 3, 1974

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Rickels, K. Use of antianxiety agents in anxious outpatients. Psychopharmacology 58, 1–17 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426784

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426784

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