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Exploring characteristics associated with first benzodiazepine prescription in patients with affective disorders and related diagnoses
Author(s) -
De Carlo Vera,
Grancini Benedetta,
Vismara Matteo,
Benatti Beatrice,
Arici Chiara,
Cremaschi Laura,
Cirnigliaro Giovanna,
Degoni Luca,
Oldani Lucio,
Palazzo Carlotta,
Glick Ira D.,
Viganò Caterina,
Dell'Osso Bernardo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.2695
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychiatry , medical prescription , panic disorder , mood disorders , mood , anxiety disorder , phobias , generalized anxiety disorder , psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , major depressive episode , pharmacology
Objective In patients with affective disorders, benzodiazepines (BZDs) are frequently administered at the onset, sometimes inappropriately. We sought to identify clinical variables associated with first BZD prescription in a large sample of patients with affective disorders. Methods Four hundred sixty patients with mood or anxiety disorders attending different psychiatric services were assessed comparing those who received BZD as first treatment (BZD w/) and those who did not (BZD w/o). Results More than one third (35.7%) of the total sample had received BZDs as first prescription. In relation to mood disorders, BZD w/ subjects more frequently (a) had not a psychiatrist as first therapist, (b) had anxious symptoms at onset, (c) had adjustment disorder as first diagnosis, (d) were treated as outpatients. In relation to specific diagnoses, (a) personal decision of treatment for major depressive disorder, (b) outpatient status for bipolar disorder and (c) longer duration of untreated illness for adjustment disorder were more frequently associated with first BZD prescription. For anxiety disorders, the presence of stressful life events and the diagnoses of panic disorder or specific phobias were more frequently observed in BZD w/ patients. Conclusion Patients with affective disorders frequently received BZDs as first prescription with significant differences between and within mood and anxiety disorders.