How do I get the medication?
The medication is posted to your home address free of charge (or a different address if you prefer).
What if I want to change my dose?
Participants start on a 25mg dose. This is half the normal lowest dose available on the NHS. This allows us to start low so that participants have time to get used to the medication, and to ensure any side effects are managed. Changes to the dose of medication you take will always be discussed with you as the participant to see what you would prefer. The Prescribing doctor on the study will assess participants’ anxiety levels, as well as other symptoms, when deciding whether to change the medication dose. If you have questions about your dose between appointments, you can email the research team – so you don’t have to wait for the next appointment if something is concerning you.
What happens when I finish the study?
At the end of your participation, you can find out from your GP/doctor whether you were taking sertraline or placebo medication during the study, and can then discuss your ongoing treatment options with your GP/doctor (including for example continuing with sertraline if you were taking sertraline, or trying an antidepressant medication if you were taking placebo). The study team helps participants to safely reduce and stop the study medication.
What if I change my mind?
Participants can withdraw at any time, without giving a reason, and without this affecting other treatments they may be receiving, or may receive in the future. If you took part, and decided later on that you’d like to stop medication, you can still keep on taking part in the study by completing the questionnaires. Any benefits of sertraline can take several weeks to be felt, so participants should consider taking the medication for at least 16 weeks before deciding if the treatment works or not.