Long-term benzodiazepine prescription in treatment-resistant depression: A national FACE-TRD prospective study.
Guillaume FondMélanie FaugereLaurent BoyerPauline PeriFlorian StephanFanny MoliereLoic AnguillDjamila BennabiEmmanuel HaffenAlexandra BouvardMichel WalterLudovic SamalinPierre Michel LlorcaJean Baptiste GentyMarion LeboyerJérôme HoltzmannAnne Sophie NguonRomain ReyMathilde HornGuillaume VaivaVincent HennionBruno EtainWissam El-HageVincent CamusPhilippe CourtetBruno AouizerateAntoine YrondiChristophe LanconRaphaelle RichieriPublished in: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry (2023)
Benzodiazepines are over-prescribed in TRD (in almost a half of the patients). Despite recommendations for withdrawal and psychiatric follow-up, <5% of patients successfully stopped taking benzodiazepines at one-year. Maintaining BLTU may contribute to the worsening of clinical and cognitive symptoms and of daily functioning in TRD patients. Progressive and planed withdrawal of benzodiazepines seems therefore strongly recommended in TRD patients with BLTU. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological alternatives should be promoted when possible.