Study shows Zoloft, combined with therapy effective for childhood anxiety

CHICAGO A study has found that when combined with three months of therapy, the antidepressant Zoloft helped children with anxiety disorders.

Zoloft (sertraline), made by Pfizer and available from numerous generic drug makers, worked best when combined with therapy, though the drug and therapy each worked well on their own as well.

The study involved 488 children aged 7 to 17 randomly assigned to one of four treatments: up to 200 mg a day of the drug alone; 14 one-hour therapy sessions alone; the drug and therapy; or placebo. Among children receiving both therapies, 81 percent had significant improvement after three months, while 60 percent of those receiving therapy alone had improvements, compared to 55 percent of those taking only the drug and 24 percent of those taking placebo.

The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and was published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.