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Psychiatric Drugs in Children and Adolescents pp 219–255Cite as

Anxiolytics and Sedative-Hypnotics

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Abstract

Anxiolytics (synonym, tranquillizers) are antianxiety drugs that are used in the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders. Anxiety is rather untypical for psychiatric disorders in that it may occur as both a normal emotional and a pathological state. During early human history, anxiety was probably adaptive and thus a criterion for selection. This may explain the high lifetime prevalence for anxiety states (≥15 % of population; Nutt 2003). Anxiety disorders often first emerge during childhood and adolescence and represent one of the most common forms of psychopathology among children and adolescents. Anxiety disorders include seven major debilitating subtype disorders: separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder (with and without agoraphobia), agoraphobia without panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Laboratory for Clinical Neurobiology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstr. 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany

    Manfred Gerlach PhD

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstr. 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany

    Andreas Warnke MD

Authors
  1. Manfred Gerlach PhD
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  2. Andreas Warnke MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manfred Gerlach PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg Klinik und Poliklinik, Würzburg, Germany

    Manfred Gerlach

  2. Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinder- und, Würzburg, Germany

    Andreas Warnke

  3. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA

    Laurence Greenhill

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Gerlach, M., Warnke, A. (2014). Anxiolytics and Sedative-Hypnotics. In: Gerlach, M., Warnke, A., Greenhill, L. (eds) Psychiatric Drugs in Children and Adolescents. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1501-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1501-5_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-1500-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-1501-5

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