Why two is better than one

Abstract

This article discusses the finding that a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant drugs is the best treatment for anxiety and depression. Though the biological basis of the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is not well understood, the current author references an article clarifying the underlying biological basis of this combination of treatment. It is noted that the findings of this study suggest that fluoxetine treatment induces a plastic, immature state in the amygdala, possibly by increasing BDNF expression, and this facilitates the erasure of fear by extinction training. This study further indicates that combining exposure therapy and antidepressant treatment may be the best approach for treating anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)