An evaluation of paroxetine in generalised social anxiety disorder

It is estimated that social anxiety disorder affects approximately 13.3% individuals within the community at some point in their lifetime and is associated with significant functional impairment. A variety of drug groups have demonstrated efficacy in treating social anxiety disorder, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Paroxetine is an SSRI approved by the FDA and Health Canada for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric conditions. Paroxetine has been the most studied agent in social anxiety disorder and has been shown to be effective in short-term, fixed- and flexible-dose placebo-controlled trials, as well as in long-term treatment. The pharmacotherapy of social phobia will be reviewed, with a special focus on investigations with paroxetine.