SSRIs vs. SNRIs for anxiety and OCD

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have greater adverse event (AE)–related discontinuation of treatment than serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in the treatment of pediatric obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders. And SSRIs are more likely than SNRIs to produce “activation” (restlessness). They're better than SNRIs for anxiety, but for youths who are activated by SSRIs, clinicians should consider SNRIs, which have a lower risk of activation, researchers have found in a meta‐analysis published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry .