title: Use of benzodiazepines in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: This study aimed to determine the frequency of benzodiazepine (BDZ) use in a large sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and ascertain the type of BDZ used and the correlates and predictors of BDZ use in OCD. The sample consisted of 955 patients with OCD from a comprehensive, cross-sectional, multicentre study conducted by the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders between 2003 and 2009. The rate of BDZ use over time in this OCD sample was 38.4%. Of individuals taking BDZs, 96.7% used them in combination with other medications, usually serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The most commonly used BDZ was clonazepam. Current age, current level of anxiety and number of additional medications for OCD taken over time significantly predicted BDZ use. This is the first study to comprehensively examine BDZ use in OCD patients, demonstrating that it is relatively common, despite recommendations from treatment guidelines. Use of BDZs in combination with several other medications over time and in patients with marked anxiety suggests that OCD patients taking BDZs may be more complex and more difficult to manage. This calls for further research and clarification of the role of BDZs in the treatment of OCD.
authors.affiliation: aDiscipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, University of Sydney, Sydney bSchool of Psychiatry, UNSW Australia, Randwick cSt John of God Health Care, Richmond Hospital, North Richmond dDepartment of Psychiatry, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales eSchool of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia fDepartment of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo gObsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders Project, Institute and Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo hDepartment of Psychiatry, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul iAnxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Research Program, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vladan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Starcevic
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berle
authors.forename: Maria Conceição
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: do Rosário
authors.forename: Vlasios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brakoulias
authors.forename: Ygor A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Ferrão
authors.forename: Kirupamani
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Viswasam
authors.forename: Roseli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shavitt
authors.forename: Euripedes
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: Leonardo F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Fontenelle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors