title: Bridging the gap between education and appropriate use of benzodiazepines in psychiatric clinical practice.
abstract: More than half a century after their discovery, benzodiazepines (BDZs) still represent one of the largest and most widely prescribed groups of psychotropic compounds, not only in clinical psychiatry but also in the entire medical field. Over the last two decades, however, there has been an increased focus on the development of antidepressants and antipsychotics on the part of the pharmaceutical industry, clinicians, and researchers, with a reduced interest in BDZs, in spite of their widespread clinical use. As a consequence, many psychiatric residents, medical students, nurses, and other mental health professionals might receive poor academic teaching and training regarding these agents, and have the false impression that BDZs represent an outdated chapter in clinical psychopharmacology. However, recent advances in the field, including findings concerning epidemiology, addiction risk, and drug interactions, as well as the introduction of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition with related diagnostic changes, strongly encourage an updated appraisal of the use of BDZs in clinical practice. During a recent thematic event convened with the aim of approaching this topic in a critical manner, a group of young Italian psychiatrists attempted to highlight possible flaws in current teaching pathways, identify the main clinical pros and cons regarding current use of BDZs in clinical practice, and provide an updated overview of their use across specific clinical areas and patient populations. The main results are presented and discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy ; Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Stanford Medical School, Stanford University, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso
authors.affiliation: Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Atti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carmassi
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrà
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiammetta
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cosci
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Nicola
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic-Clinical Medicine and Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Clinical Department of Mental Health, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goracci
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iasevoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luciano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Science, University G.d Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinotti
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Giulia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy ; Bipolar Disorder Unit, CIBERSAM, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nivoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Unit of Psychiatry, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatric Division, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sampogna
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tarricone
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tosato
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorillo
keywords: benzodiazepines; psychiatric clinical practice; risks and benefits; teaching issues