RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024
Pharmacology
Easy
Which medication class is commonly used to treat anxiety disorders
Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024
Explanation
- Antidepressants, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), are the established first-line drug class for the long-term management of most anxiety disorders.
- Clinical guidelines recommend antidepressants over other classes due to their favorable balance of efficacy and safety, including a lower risk of dependence and abuse compared to benzodiazepines.
- These medications work by modulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, which helps to regulate mood and reduce anxiety over time, although they may take several weeks to become fully effective.
- Examples of first-line antidepressants for anxiety include Sertraline, Escitalopram (SSRIs), and Venlafaxine, Duloxetine (SNRIs).
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Antipsychotics are not a first-line or common treatment for anxiety disorders. Their use is generally reserved for severe, treatment-resistant cases as an augmentation strategy, and they carry a significant risk of side effects like extrapyramidal symptoms and metabolic changes.
- Option C: Benzodiazepines are considered a second-line treatment for the ongoing management of anxiety disorders. While they are effective for rapid, short-term relief, their long-term use is discouraged due to the high risk of tolerance, physical dependence, and cognitive impairment.
- Option D: Mood stabilizers are not indicated for the primary treatment of anxiety disorders. Their main clinical use is in managing mood episodes (mania and depression) in conditions like bipolar disorder.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pharmacological management of anxiety disorders as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- A key nursing role is patient education. Nurses must explain that antidepressants take 2-4 weeks to reach therapeutic levels for anxiety, which is crucial for managing patient expectations and promoting adherence.
- Nurses must assess for and educate patients about the risk of dependence with benzodiazepines and the importance of not stopping them abruptly to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
- What if? If a patient presents to the emergency department with a severe panic attack, the most appropriate immediate medication would be a short-acting benzodiazepine (like Lorazepam) for rapid symptom control, even though an antidepressant is the correct choice for long-term management.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core of the question: It asks for the 'commonly used' medication class for 'anxiety disorders'. This implies the standard, first-line treatment for ongoing management.
- Next, analyze the options based on current pharmacological guidelines. Differentiate between treatments for acute symptoms and those for long-term management.
- Recall that Antidepressants (SSRIs/SNRIs) are the recommended first-line therapy for most anxiety disorders due to their safety and efficacy profile for chronic use.
- Evaluate the role of Benzodiazepines. Recognize they are effective for rapid relief but are second-line for long-term use because of the risk of dependence.
- Eliminate Antipsychotics and Mood stabilizers, as they are not primary treatments for anxiety disorders.
- Conclude that Antidepressants are the most appropriate answer for the 'commonly used' treatment.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Pharmacological management of anxiety disorders
- Stem keywords: medication class, treat, anxiety disorders
- Lead-in keywords: commonly used
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QKYLypZ8uT-kbEgbI8PQ7y
Reference Book
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 1303-1305
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 5881-5883, 7251-7253
Practise the full RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2024
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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