NICE updates anxiety guidelines

The U.K.'s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has updated its guidance on the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). It says that patients should not be offered benzodiazepines or antipsychotics but should be educated about their condition and actively monitored. If this does not work patients should be offered low-intensity psychological interventions such as self-help groups or books and the chance to join psychoeducational groups. Patients who do not respond to this should be considered for cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), applied relaxation or drug treatment while those most at risk of self-harm should be offered a specialist assessment of their needs and risks.