Because major depression and anxiety disorders háve negative effects on the patienťs quality of life as well as on other disease states, proper recognition and treatment of depression and pathologic anxiety are impor-tant in primary care setting. The submitted article sumarizes pharmacological characteristics and clinical efficacy of the latest selective serotonin inhibitor, escitalopram, which is the first pure antidepressant stere-oisomer in clinical use. Escitalopram is effective across different diagnoses in the group of mood and anxi¬ety disorders: major depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generál anxiety disorder, sociál phobia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Escitalopram is well tolerated in the short- and in long-term treatment.

        Key words: antidepressants - SSRI - escitalopram - treatment - major depression - anxiety disorders.