Failing of Primary Care: Some SAD Patients Not Getting Proper Treatment

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NEW ORLEANS -- Only 57% of primary care patients who have social anxiety disorder receive treatment, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Overall, 20% of patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) in this setting were treated with medication only, 4% were treated with psychotherapy only, and 33% were treated with both, said Kristin M. Maki, Ph.D., of Brown University, Providence, R.I.

A total of 539 patients meeting the DSM-IV criteria for one or more intake anxiety disorders were recruited from 15 primary care, general internal medicine, and family medicine clinics in New England to take part in the …