Pharmacological Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the Elderly
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a very common disorder in the geriatric population with
prevalence rates reaching 7% and even higher rates of 8% among elderly veterans. However,
despite such high prevalence treating clinicians are presently forced to address treatment
issues in this population without the guidance of scientific data. This proposal aims to
begin to address this void.
In light of emerging information regarding efficacy of the newer anti anxiety agents,
specifically the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), in the treatment of young
adult GAD patients it is time to prospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of these
medications in the treatment of elderly GAD patients. Therefore, this study will examine the
effects and safety of the SSRI sertraline at different doses (50mg and 100mg per day) for
older patients with GAD.