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De Carlo V, Grancini B, Vismara M, Benatti B, Arici C, Cremaschi L, Cirnigliaro G, Degoni L, Oldani L, Palazzo C, Glick ID, Viganò C, Dell'Osso B. Exploring characteristics associated with first benzodiazepine prescription in patients with affective disorders and related diagnoses. Hum Psychopharmacol 2019; 34:e2695. [PMID: 31044486 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera De Carlo
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Benedetta Grancini
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Vismara
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Benatti
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Arici
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Cremaschi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Cirnigliaro
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Degoni
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucio Oldani
- Department of Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlotta Palazzo
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ira D Glick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford Medical School, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Caterina Viganò
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Bernardo Dell'Osso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," Psychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford Medical School, Stanford University, Stanford, California.,CRC "Aldo Ravelli" for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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