Oxytocin in social anxiety: An overview

Abstract

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is synthesized in the hypothalamus. It acts as a central neurotransmitter, as well as a peripheral hormone. It is called also trust hormone or love hormone. Because of its anxiolytic, pro-social and social cognitive enhancing effects, oxytocin has been suggested as a promising novel treatment for patients with social anxiety disorder. However, controlled research is small and the studies’ results are inconclusive. I will present the results of several studies with several recommendations about the role of oxytocin in social anxiety disorder. Whereas oxytocin shows some promising effects in resistant cases, of course the preferred agents are SSRIs, SNRIs and CBT.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.