Scientists from the National Institutes of Health studied 488 children ages 7 to 17 years old who have anxiety disorders. One fourth of the children took Sertraline (Zoloft); one fourth took Sertraline along with psychotherapy; one fourth had psychotherapy alone; and one fourth took placebos only. After three months, the children in the combined treatment group had the best results, with 81 percent showing improvement. In the therapy-only group, 60 percent improved, compared to a 55 percent improvement rate in the drug-alone group. Among the children who took placebos, 24 percent improved.
Anxiety affects about 20 percent of American children. Some become so tense that they will not leave their homes, refuse to sleep alone, etc. They can develop phobias and severe social anxiety, which can limit their participation in class discussions and other situations. "Improvement" in the NIH study meant that the children were able to do things they had refused to do before, such as sleep by themselves.
This study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Labels: medications, depression, anxiety
Posted By: Aspen Education Group
