Anxiolytics: An In-Depth Review of Contemporary and Emerging Treatment Approaches

Anxiety is a prevalent global mental health condition, affecting approximately 350 million individuals worldwide, and remains a leading cause of disability. Despite its widespread impact, a significant proportion of individuals with anxiety disorders do not receive adequate medical care. Depression is projected to become a leading cause of morbidity in low- and middle-income countries by 2030, further underscoring the importance of addressing mental health challenges. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the history, current landscape, and future of anxiolytic treatments. It explores the categorization of anxiety disorders, the evolution of anxiolytic medications, and the limitations of existing therapies. The review also discusses the emerging potential of herbal remedies as safe and effective alternatives for anxiety management. The role of biomarkers in diagnosing, managing, and classifying anxiety disorders is also explored, with a particular focus on metabolomics as a promising tool for tracking treatment outcomes and identifying underlying disease mechanisms. The incorporation of biomarkers, along with the identification of faulty neural circuits, may open new avenues for more precise treatments and classification systems for anxiety and related psychiatric disorders.