Intrusive thoughts and other symptoms that adversely affect patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be relieved by treatment with paroxetine ['Paxil'], researchers said at the 154th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association [New Orleans, US; May 2001]. In a series of studies, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine was more effective than placebo at relieving the symptoms of PTSD in both men and women. The drug was launched in Europe earlier this month, making it the only approved therapy for PTSD in Europe, and is currently under review by the US FDA. Sertraline is the only medication approved in the US for the treatment of PTSD; however, there is controversy regarding its benefits in men, as efficacy has only been definitively shown in women.