Pharmacological treatments for generalised anxiety disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Worth asking your prescriber whether venlafaxine is being chosen for your anxiety as well as mood, since it is one of the few drugs with strong trial evidence in generalized anxiety disorder.
Top of the evidence hierarchy, independently funded. how we score evidence
In a network meta-analysis of 89 randomized trials (25,441 patients) in generalized anxiety disorder, venlafaxine lowered anxiety scores by about 2.7 Hamilton Anxiety points more than placebo (mean difference -2.69, 95% credible interval -3.50 to -1.89) and was among the drugs combining efficacy with relatively good acceptability.
Worth asking
Worth asking your prescriber whether venlafaxine is being chosen for your anxiety as well as mood, since it is one of the few drugs with strong trial evidence in generalized anxiety disorder.
What it is FDA approved for
Read off the label. Trial duration and approval year are shown only where they were recorded — never inferred.
- Major depressive disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder (extended-release only)
- Social anxiety disorder (extended-release only)
- Panic disorder (extended-release only)
Source
Pharmacological treatments for generalised anxiety disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis — Slee A, et al. (2019)
Top-tier peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31793-8
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31793-8
How this was scored
- Study design
- Meta-analysis of randomised trials
- Funding
- No external funding
- Published in
- Top-tier peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 25,441
- Preregistered
- Yes
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- Yes
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "gold standard". Top of the evidence hierarchy, independently funded. It scores 96 out of 100 on our published rubric. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Pharmacological treatments for generalised anxiety disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis — Slee A, et al. (2019). Published in: Top-tier peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31793-8. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Meta-analysis of randomised trials. Funding: No external funding. The researchers were independent of whoever benefits from the result. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is venlafaxine (Effexor), effexor FDA approved?
Yes — FDA approved for Major depressive disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder (extended-release only), Social anxiety disorder (extended-release only), Panic disorder (extended-release only). Approval is for a specific indication, not for everything the drug is prescribed for.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.