Hope for Youth Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric disorders affecting young people today. According to the United States Surgeon General, approximately 13 percent of young people, ages 9 - 17, have anxiety disorders. Other studies show even larger numbers. Unfortunately, anxiety disorders in youth do not make the headlines as do other conditions, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, most young people with anxiety disorders never receive treatment. Parents, doctors and the general public need to understand that young people can suffer from these conditions, and, thankfully, successful treatment is possible.

Because of these statistics, researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) conducted an eight-week study on the effectiveness of medication in the treatment of youth anxiety disorders. At five major medical centers, researchers studied 128 young people 6 to 17 years old who met the diagnostic criteria for social phobia, separation anxiety disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder. Participants had first received psychological treatment alone for three weeks without improvement. They were divided into two groups; half received fluvoxamine and half received a placebo.

Fluvoxamine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children. SSRI's also have proved to be effective in treating adult anxiety disorders. Most people know fluvoxamine by its brand name, Luvox.

During the study, researchers found significant improvement in the young people treated with fluvoxamine after only 3 weeks. Improvement continued to increase until week 6 and then leveled off during the final 2 weeks of the study. Ultimately, 76 percent of the participants taking fluvoxamine experienced significant improvement of symptoms. Only 29 percent in the placebo group experienced improvement.

The main side effects experienced by participants taking fluvoxamine were abdominal discomfort and increased motor activity. These side effects where minor, however, and only 5 of the 63 participants taking fluvoxamine dropped out of the study due to side effects.

Early treatment of childhood anxiety is crucial. Besides interfering with social functioning and causing great distress during childhood, "childhood anxiety disorders also foreshadow psychiatric illness later in life," the researchers state. Various studies have shown childhood anxiety disorders to be risk factors for adult anxiety disorders, depression, suicide attempts, and psychiatric hospitalization. Additionally, the researchers point out several animal studies which show long-term negative effects of stress on the nervous system. It is possible that long-term untreated anxiety in children may have "neurodevelopmental effects."

The study is excellent news for young people, for their families, and for the millions of adults who suffer from anxiety. Fluvoxamine may be considered as an effective treatment for youth anxiety. More attention may be drawn to these common conditions, and, therefore, more young people will be treated. Ultimately, successful treatment in childhood may keep many adults from ever experiencing these problems later in life.

Reference: The Research Unit on Pediatric Psychopharmacology Anxiety Study Group (2001), Fluvoxamine for the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med 344(17): 1279-1285.