Cognitive behavior therapy  appears to be more effective than other evidence -based psychological techniques , and its effects appear to be more enduring than those of pharmacotherapy .
There is some evidence , albeit limited to certain drug classes , that the combination of  medication and cognitive behavior therapy may be more effective than either strategy used alone .
This article proposes a number of recommendations for the treatment of  generalized social phobia  , based on a systematic literature review and meta- analysis .
For medications , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are first-line choices based on their efficacy and tolerability profiles .
There are other medication classes with demonstrated efficacy in social phobia ( benzodiazepines , antipsychotics , alpha-2-delta lig and s ) , but due to limited published clinical trial data and the potential for dependence and withdrawal issues with benzodiazepines , it is unclear how best to incorporate these drugs into treatment regimens .
Cognitive behavioral group therapy vs phenelzine therapy for social phobia: 12-week outcome.
BACKGROUND This article presents results of the acute treatment phase of a 2-site study comparing cognitive behavioral group therapy ( CBGT ) and treatment with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine sulfate for social phobia . METHODS One hundred thirty-three patients from 2 sites received 12 weeks of CBGT , phenelzine therapy , pill placebo administration , or educational-supportive group therapy ( an attention-placebo treatment of equal credibility to CBGT ) . The " allegiance effect , " ie , the tendency for treatments to seem most efficacious in setting s of similar theoretical orientation and less efficacious in theoretically divergent setting s , was also examined by comparing responses to the treatment conditions at both sites : 1 known for pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders and the other for cognitive behavioral treatment . RESULTS After 12 weeks , phenelzine therapy and CBGT led to superior response rates and greater change on dimensional measures than did either control condition . However , response to phenelzine therapy was more evident after 6 weeks , and phenelzine therapy was also superior to CBGT after 12 weeks on some measures . There were few differences between sites , suggesting that these treatments can be efficacious at facilities with differing theoretical allegiances . CONCLUSIONS After 12 weeks , both phenelzine therapy and CBGT were associated with marked positive response . Although phenelzine therapy was superior to CBGT on some measures , both were more efficacious than the control conditions . More extended cognitive behavioral treatment and the combination of modalities may enhance treatment effect
Cognitive behavior therapy  appears to be more effective than other evidence -based psychological techniques , and its effects appear to be more enduring than those of pharmacotherapy .
There is some evidence , albeit limited to certain drug classes , that the combination of  medication and cognitive behavior therapy may be more effective than either strategy used alone .
This article proposes a number of recommendations for the treatment of  generalized social phobia  , based on a systematic literature review and meta- analysis .
For medications , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are first-line choices based on their efficacy and tolerability profiles .
There are other medication classes with demonstrated efficacy in social phobia ( benzodiazepines , antipsychotics , alpha-2-delta lig and s ) , but due to limited published clinical trial data and the potential for dependence and withdrawal issues with benzodiazepines , it is unclear how best to incorporate these drugs into treatment regimens .