Anxiety disorders are typically chronic or episodic; however, the optimal duration of continuation treatment is not established.
A meta-analysis of 28 relapse-prevention studies (n=5,233) including studies of people with GAD, panic disorder, social phobia, OCD, and PTSD, found that:
- Antidepressant discontinuation increased the risk of relapse:
OR: 3.11 (95% CI 2.48, 3.89)- Relapse rate for placebo: 36.4% (95% CI: 30.8, 42.1)
- Relapse rate for active treatment: 16.4% (95% CI:12.6, 20.1)
- The time to relapse was shorter after treatment discontinuation:
HR: 3.63 (95% CI: 2.58, 5.10)
- The risk of relapse was not significantly influenced by:
- The type of anxiety disorder
- The duration of previous treatment
- The duration of follow-up
- The mode of discontinuation
- Any concurrent psychotherapy
CI=confidence interval; GAD=generalized anxiety disorder; HR=hazard ratio; OCD=obsessive–compulsive disorder; OR=odds ratio
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