Gender Differences in Generalized Anxiety Treatment

Women Respond Less Favorably to Medication Than Men

Recent research published in the journal Depression & Anxiety reported that men and women may differ in their response to medication for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The study found that women, particularly those who developed the disorder later in life, responded less favorably than men to fluoxetine (Prozac) treatment, which is commonly prescribed for GAD. The authors speculated that differences in hormone levels and response to stress may account for some of the findings.

Ideally, more research on how this type of treatment may differ for other groups (age, race/ethnicity, etc) will follow, leading to a better overall picture of GAD treatment. Some work could also be done to determine if other medications used for GAD have the sex differences found for fluoxetine.

Simon et al (2006). Preliminary support for gender differences in response to fluoxetine for generalized anxiety disorder. Depression & Anxiety, 23(6), 373-376.