Treatment of comorbid generalized anxiety in a recently detoxified alcoholic population with a selective serotonergic drug (buspirone).

Investigated 51 dually diagnosed patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and alcohol abuse dependence in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the serotonin partial agonist buspirone (BSP). 22 Ss in the BSP group and 20 in the placebo group completed at least 4 wks of treatment. A current diagnosis of GAD was not attempted until a minimum of 4 wks abstinence had been achieved to minimize organic anxiety symptoms. BSP was superior to placebo as an anxiolytic, was well tolerated, and was associated with both a reduction in the number of days desiring alcohol and an overall clinical global improvement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)