Use of benzodiazepines in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Author(s)

Starcevic, Vladan ^[1] ; Berle, David ^{[2, 3]} ; do Rosario, Maria Conceicao ^[4] ; Brakoulias, Vlasios ^[1] ; Ferrao, Ygor A. ^[5] ; Viswasam, Kirupamani ^[6] ; Shavitt, Roseli ^[7] ; Miguel, Euripedes ^[7] ; Fontenelle, Leonardo F. ^{[8, 9]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sydney, Discipline Psychiat, Sydney Med Sch Nepean, Sydney, NSW 2006 - Australia

^[2] UNSW Australia, Sch Psychiat, Randwick, NSW - Australia

^[3] Richmond Hosp, St John God Hlth Care, North Richmond - Australia

^[4] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychiat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Fed Univ Hlth Sci Porto Alegre, Dept Psychiat, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[6] Nepean Hosp, Dept Psychiat, Penrith, NSW 2751 - Australia

^[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Obsess Compuls Spectrum Disorders Project, Inst & Dept Psychiat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Monash Univ, Sch Psychol Sci, Melbourne, Vic 3004 - Australia

^[9] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Psychiat, Anxiety & Obsess Compuls Spectrum Res Program, DOr Inst Res & Educ, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY; v. 31, n. 1, p. 27-33, JAN 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

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. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/55628-8 - Phenotypic, genetic, immunological and neurobiological characterization of the obsessive compulsive disorder and its implications for treatment
• Grantee: Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants