Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 Mar;67(3):286-95.
doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.11.

A placebo-controlled trial of phenelzine, cognitive behavioral group therapy, and their combination for social anxiety disorder

Carlos Blanco  1 , Richard G Heimberg, Franklin R Schneier, David M Fresco, Henian Chen, Cynthia L Turk, Donna Vermes, Brigette A Erwin, Andrew B Schmidt, Harlan R Juster, Raphael Campeas, Michael R Liebowitz
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A placebo-controlled trial of phenelzine, cognitive behavioral group therapy, and their combination for social anxiety disorder

Carlos Blanco et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Context: Medication and cognitive behavioral treatment are the best-established treatments for social anxiety disorder, yet many individuals remain symptomatic after treatment.

Objective: To determine whether combined medication and cognitive behavioral treatment is superior to either monotherapy or pill placebo.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Research clinics at Columbia University and Temple University.

Participants: One hundred twenty-eight individuals with a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of social anxiety disorder.

Interventions: Cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT), phenelzine sulfate, pill placebo, and combined CBGT plus phenelzine.

Main outcome measures: Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale scores at weeks 12 and 24.

Results: Linear mixed-effects models showed a specific order of effects, with steepest reductions in Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale scores for the combined group, followed by the monotherapies, and the least reduction in the placebo group (Williams test = 4.97, P < .01). The CGI response rates in the intention-to-treat sample at week 12 were 9 of 27 (33.3%) (placebo), 16 of 34 (47.1%) (CBGT), 19 of 35 (54.3%) (phenelzine), and 23 of 32 (71.9%) (combined treatment) (chi(2)(1) = 8.76, P < .01). Corresponding remission rates (CGI = 1) were 2 of 27 (7.4%), 3 of 34 (8.8%), 8 of 35 (22.9%), and 15 of 32 (46.9%) (chi(2)(1) = 15.92, P < .01). At week 24, response rates were 9 of 27 (33.3%), 18 of 34 (52.9%), 17 of 35 (48.6%), and 25 of 32 (78.1%) (chi(2)(1) = 12.02, P = .001). Remission rates were 4 of 27 (14.8%), 8 of 34 (23.5%), 9 of 35 (25.7%), and 17 of 32 (53.1%) (chi(2)(1) = 10.72, P = .001).

Conclusion: Combined phenelzine and CBGT treatment is superior to either treatment alone and to placebo on dimensional measures and on rates of response and remission.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All other authors report no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT Diagram
Figure 2
Figure 2
Response and Remission Rates by Treatment Group at week 12
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, Nelson CB, Hughes M, Eshleman S, Wittchen HU, Kendler KS. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994;51(1):8–19. - PubMed
    1. Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):617–627. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Grant BF, Hasin DS, Blanco C, Stinson FS, Chou SP, Goldstein RB, Dawson DA, Smith S, Saha TD, Huang B. The epidemiology of social anxiety disorder in the United States: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66(11):1351–1361. - PubMed
    1. Magee WJ, Eaton WW, Wittchen HU, McGonagle KA, Kessler RC. Agoraphobia, simple phobia, and social phobia in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996;53(2):159–168. - PubMed
    1. Schneier FR, Johnson J, Hornig CD, Liebowitz MR, Weissman MM. Social phobia. Comorbidity and morbidity in an epidemiologic sample. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992;49(4):282–288. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms