Advances in the neurobiology of
post-traumatic stress disorder (
PTSD) and the availability of modern psychotropics have led to renewed interest in the
pharmacotherapy of this disorder. In this paper we focus on trials of the
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (
SSRIs) in
PTSD. Studies of the
pharmacotherapy of
PTSD were identified using methods developed by the Cochrane collaboration. Although a range of open trials of different
SSRIs in
PTSD show promise, there are few controlled
pharmacotherapy studies in this disorder. Nevertheless,
pharmacotherapy for
PTSD appears to have reasonably robust effects, with odds ratios for responder status, defined as 'much improved' or 'very much improved' on the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), on
drug versus placebo varying from 2.2 to 5.6 in randomized controlled trials of different agents. The
SSRIs appear both safe and effective for this indication. Additional research with these agents is necessary to clarify many questions, including predictors of response,
duration of treatment, comparison with other agents, and integration with psychotherapy. In the interim, however, the
SSRIs can be recommended as a first-line medication for the treatment of
PTSD.