Study serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for anxiety, including transporter blocking, response timing, side effects, resource use and treatment evaluation.
Assess the effectiveness of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) as a treatment for anxiety.
(4 marks), AO3 (4 marks)
AO1
•
SNRIs block both the serotonin transporter (SERT) and
norepinephrine transporter (NET) so this increases the levels of
serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain.
•
In the short term, SNRIs can increase anxiety and take between a
week and 10 days to reduce feelings of anxiety and panic
disorders.
•
SNRIs can have more side effects than SSRIs as they are
targeting norepinephrine receptors as well as serotonin receptors.
•
Using SNRIs (pharmacological therapy) to treat Generalised
Anxiety Disorder (GAD) uses less resources than some other
treatments such as counselling.
AO3
•
Strawn et al. (2018) found that the SNRI venlafaxine is an
effective treatment for GAD and is most effective as a treatment if
taken over 12 months than 6 months as this reduces the chances
of relapse.
•
SNRIs may treat the symptoms of anxiety but not the cause so it
is recommended that psychotherapy is also used and so it may
not be as effective as a singular treatment.
•
As potentially there could be more side effects with SNRIs than
SSRIs such as nausea, insomnia and dizziness, some may choose
to stop the medication meaning the treatment may be less
effective than using SSRIs.
•
Slee et al. (2019) conducted 89 trials which included 25,441
patients and found that as there are a large range of medications
to treat GAD, if a first treatment is not successful an alternative is
easily available as it is a cost-effective way to treat anxiety.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
(8)
Level
Mark
Descriptor
AO1 (4 marks), AO3 (4 marks)
Candidates must demonstrate an equal emphasis between Knowledge and
understanding vs assessment/conclusion in their answer.
0
No rewardable material.
Level 1
1–2
Marks
Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Generic assertions may be presented. Limited attempt to address the
question. (AO3)
Level 2
3–4
Marks
Demonstrates mostly accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Candidates will produce statements with some development in the form of
mostly accurate and relevant factual material, leading to a generic or
superficial assessment being presented. (AO3)
Level 3
5–6
Marks
Demonstrates accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Arguments developed using mostly coherent chains of reasoning leading
to an assessment being presented which considers a range of factors.
Candidates will demonstrate understanding of competing
arguments/factors but unlikely to grasp their significance. The assessment
leads to a judgement but this may be imbalanced. (AO3)
Level 4
7–8
Marks
Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding.
(AO1)
Displays a well-developed and logical assessment, containing logical
chains of reasoning throughout. Demonstrates an awareness of the
significance of competing arguments/factors leading to a balanced
judgement being presented. (AO3)