Final answer:
Patients with minimal response to SSRIs for social anxiety have alternatives such as psychotherapy, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, electroconvulsive therapy, deep-brain stimulation, or selective melatonin reuptake inhibitors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Patients with social anxiety who have shown minimal response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may consider several alternative treatments. These include psychotherapy, which has been shown to be effective in combination with antidepressant medication for depression and anxiety disorders.
If medication is still preferred, patients may try monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which inhibit the reuptake of both serotonin & norepinephrine and have been noted for their modest increase in efficiency compared to SSRIs.
Furthermore, SSRIs have fewer anticholinergic side effects than older antidepressants and can sometimes be used effectively for obsessive-compulsive disorders. It's also important to consider other therapeutic options such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), deep-brain stimulation (DBS), or selective melatonin reuptake inhibitors, although these are typically considered when other treatments have failed or are contraindicated.