NPR

For Children With Severe Anxiety, Drugs Plus Therapy Help Best

Children and teens with severe anxiety benefit most from both psychotherapy and medication, a study finds. But it can be hard for families to find and pay for high-quality therapy.
Anxiety medication might make therapy easier for teens who are suffering from severe symptoms.

Teens and children struggling with anxiety are often prescribed medication or therapy to treat their symptoms. For many, either drugs or therapy is enough, but some young people can't find respite from anxious thoughts. For them, a study suggests that using both treatments at once can help.

The , published in the on Monday, analyzed data from a of 488 people ages 7 to 17 diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The trial compared therapy, an anti-depressant called sertralinebrand name Zoloft, the combination of both, and a placebo. Pfizer, which manufactures

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