Sertraline for social phobia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the efficacy of sertraline in the treatment of social phobia.

METHOD: In a double-blind crossover study, 12 outpatients were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of sertraline (50-200 mg/day, flexible dosing) and 10 weeks of placebo.

RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement in scores on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale was found with sertraline but not with placebo. There was no significant difference between scores obtained with computer- and clinician-administered versions of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and the majority of patients preferred to be interviewed by the computer.

CONCLUSIONS: Sertraline seems a safe and effective treatment for social phobia, and computer administration may be a preferable mode of assessment with socially phobic patients.