Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders.1 According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, anxiety disorders are the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide, and even mild syndromes are associated with impairment and distress.2 Those affected with anxious symptoms have a lower quality of life and poorer psychosocial functioning.3 Despite the many available treatments, which include antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),4 only 60% of patients improve.5,6 Those patients with residual symptoms tend to experience a waxing and waning pattern of recurrence, leading to a chronic course. Very little evidence is available to guide treatment selection (CBT, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs], or a combination thereof) for the individual patient.7 Advances in neurosciences and studies designed to understand the mechanisms and biomarkers associated with these disorders may help guide personalized treatment approaches. Moreover, a better understanding of the disorders themselves, their pathological pathways, biomarkers, and clinical aspects (risk factors and predictors of response) may help develop treatments that are more effective. Selecting the optimal treatment for a specific patient would reduce individual and social costs.
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