Simon J. C. Davies

TL;DR: This revision of the 2005 British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines for the evidence-based pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders provides an update on key steps in diagnosis and clinical management, including recognition, acute treatment, longer-term treatment, combination treatment, and further approaches for patients who have not responded to first-line interventions.

TL;DR: Although at present, none of the putative biomarkers for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is sufficient and specific as a diagnostic tool, an abundance of high quality research has accumulated that should improve understanding of the neurobiological causes of anxiety disorders.

TL;DR: The working group was mindful of widespread concerns about benzodiazepines and related anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs, and believed that the potential for dependence or other harmful effects must be considered whenever benzidiazepines are prescribed.

TL;DR: Jitteriness/anxiety syndrome remains poorly characterised and clinicians' perception of this syndrome influences prescribing and it is cited to support postulated mechanisms of drug action, but systematised evaluation of side-effects at earlier time points in antidepressant trials to further elucidate this clinically important syndrome.

TL;DR: This guideline provides recommendations for making decisions about when and how to reduce and stop BZRAs and suggests patients might be more amenable to deprescribing conversations if they understand the rationale, are involved in developing the tapering plan, and are offered behavioural advice.