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
Review
. 2017 Sep 22:8:173.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00173. eCollection 2017.

Treatment of Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Anxiety Disorder: Review of the Scientific Evidence and Recommendations for Treatment

Carmen Gimeno  1   2 , Marisa Luisa Dorado  2   3 , Carlos Roncero  2   4 , Nestor Szerman  2   5 , Pablo Vega  2   6 , Vicent Balanzá-Martínez  7 , F Javier Alvarez  2   8   9
Affiliations
Review

Treatment of Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Anxiety Disorder: Review of the Scientific Evidence and Recommendations for Treatment

Carmen Gimeno et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Patients with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) have a high prevalence of anxiety disorders (AnxDs). "Co-occurring disorders" refers to the coexistence of an AUD and/or drug related disorders with another non-addictive psychiatric disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of psychopharmacological treatments and psychotherapy in patients with AUD and AnxD and to propose recommendations for the treatment of patients with comorbid AnxDs and AUDs. Randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, and clinical guidelines were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Paroxetine was found to be effective in social anxiety patients with alcohol dependence. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), especially sertraline, showed effective results in posttraumatic stress disorder and in comorbid AnxD-AUD. However, SSRIs should be used with caution when patients are actively drinking because they may increase alcohol consumption. Buspirone, gabapentin, and pregabalin were found to be effective in comorbid AnxD-AUD. The treatment of dual AnxDs should start as early as possible. Since AUDs and AnxDs can reinforce each other, treatments targeting both pathologies can be effective. Women suffer from higher levels of stress and AnxDs than men, and they are also more vulnerable to maintaining alcohol consumption levels. Further research is needed in this comorbid patient population, including the study of different types of patients and gender perspectives.

Keywords: alcohol-use disorder; anxiety disorders; co-occurring disorders; comorbidity; treatment recommendations.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ipser JC, Wilson D, Akindipe TO, Sager C, Stein DJ. Pharmacotherapy for anxiety and comorbid alcohol use disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2015) 20(1):CD007505.10.1002/14651858.CD007505.pub2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub; (2013). Available from: https://www.appi.org/products/dsm-manual-of-mental-disorders
    1. Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health. Geneva: WHO; (2014). Available from: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/en/
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Text Revision. 4th ed American Psychiatric Pub; (2000). Available from: http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.books.9780890420249...
    1. National Institute on Drug Addiction. DrugFacts: Comorbidity: Addiction and Other Mental Disorders. (2011). Available from: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/comorbidity-addiction-o...

LinkOut - more resources