Appendix 1. MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE search strategy

(randomised controlled trial [pt] OR controlled clinical trial [pt] OR randomised controlled trials [mh] OR random allocation [mh] OR double‐blind method [mh] OR single‐blind method [mh] OR clinical trial [pt] OR clinical trials [mh] OR ("clinical trial" [tw]) OR ((singl* [tw] OR doubl* [tw] OR trebl* [tw] OR tripl* [tw]) AND (mask* [tw] OR blind* [tw])) OR ("latin square" [tw]) OR placebos [mh] OR placebo* [tw] OR random* [tw] OR research design [mh:noexp] OR comparative study [pt] OR evaluation studies [pt] OR follow‐up studies [mh] OR prospective studies [mh] OR cross‐over studies [mh] OR control* [tw] OR prospectiv* [tw] OR volunteer* [tw]) NOT (animal [mh] NOT human [mh]) AND (anxiety disorder [mh:noexp] OR "anxiety disorder" [tw] OR phobic disorders [mh:noexp] OR obsessive‐compulsive disorder [mh] OR "obsessive‐compulsive" [tw] OR stress disorders, post‐traumatic [mh:noexp] OR "post‐traumatic" [tw]) AND (alcoholism [mh] OR alcohol* [tw]) AND (pharmacother* [tw] OR medicat* [tw] OR drug* [tw] OR Drug Therapy [mh])

The PsycINFO search strategy will include the following search query: ("random*" OR "controlled") AND "anxiety" AND "alcohol"

EMBASE will be searched using the following search query: (random* OR "placebo":de OR control*) AND ("anxiety disorder":de OR "anxiety disorder" OR "obsessive compulsive disorder" OR "OCD" OR "post traumatic" OR "posttraumatic" OR "PTSD" OR "social phobia" OR "social anxiety" OR "phobia") AND ("alcoholism":de OR alcohol*)

The abstracts of the Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Science Database will be searched using the following search query: "anxiety disorder*"/"posttraumatic stress disorder"/PTSD/"specific phobia"/"simple phobia"/"social phobia"/"social anxiety disorder"/"panic disorder"/"generalized anxiety disorder"/"obsessive compulsive disorder"/OCD