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Long-term outcome of two forms of randomised benzodiazepine discontinuation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

R. C. Oude Voshaar ,
W. J. M. J. Gorgels ,
A. J. J. Mol ,
A. J. L. M. Van Balkom ,
J. Mulder ,
E. H. Van De Lisdonk ,
M. H. M. Breteler  and
F. G. Zitman
R. C. Oude Voshaar*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
W. J. M. J. Gorgels
Affiliation:
Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
A. J. J. Mol
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
A. J. L. M. Van Balkom
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam
J. Mulder
Affiliation:
Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
E. H. Van De Lisdonk
Affiliation:
Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
M. H. M. Breteler
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Personality Radboud University Nijmegen
F. G. Zitman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
*
Dr R.C. Oude Voshaar, Department of Psychiatry Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abouttwo-thirds of long-term users of benzodiazepines in the population are able to discontinue this drug with the aid of supervised programmes for tapering off. Little is known about the long-term outcome of such programmes, and they have never been compared with usual care. After a 15-month follow-up of a randomised controlled trial comparing such a programme with and without psychotherapy with usual care, we found significantly higher longitudinal abstinence rates in long-term benzodiazepine users who received a benzodiazepine tapering-off programme without psychotherapy (25 out of 69, 36%) compared with those who received usual care (5 out of 33, 15%; P=0.03).

Type
Short Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 188 , Issue 2 , February 2006 , pp. 188 - 189
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Footnotes

Declaration of Interest

None.

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