Symptoms improved in 76 percent of those randomly assigned to take the medication, compared to only 29 percent of those in the placebo group. The medication was more effective than a pill placebo for children and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders over a period of treatment of 2 months. No severe side effects occurred on the medication.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in children and adolescents.
Still, they are often not recognized, and most children and adolescents who have these disorders are not treated. These disorders cause significant suffering and functional impairment in the affected children. While not all of them will continue to suffer from these disorders into adulthood, some will, and early treatment may help prevent future mental health problems, including depression and suicide. Common signs of anxiety disorders are excessive worry about ordinary activities, such as going to school or summer camp, taking a test, participating in sports, fear upon separation from parents, talking in front of others, eating in public, or using the phone. At times, there are somatic symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, trembling, stomachache, or headache.