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Antidepressants are effective for many anxiety disorders and are still the most widely used antianxiety treatment. A few studies have suggested that discontinuation increases risk for relapse, but the size of this risk and the potential factors moderating or mediating risk are unknown. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 28 double-blind, placebo-controlled antidepressant discontinuation studies in 5233 patients with any of five DSM-IV disorders (panic, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and post-traumatic stress disorders).
The risk for relapse was three times greater in patients switched to placebo than in those who were continued on their antidepressants. Summary prevalence of relapse through the studies' follo…