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Related Experiment Videos

Antidepressant plus benzodiazepine for major depression.

T Furukawa1, D L Streiner, L T Young

  • 1Dept of Psychiatry, Nagoya City University, School of Medicine, Mizuho-cho Mizuho-ku Aichi, Nagoya, Japan, 467 8601. GBA02004@niftyserve.or.jp

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 18, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Adding benzodiazepines to antidepressants may improve depression treatment outcomes, reducing dropout rates and increasing response rates in the short term. However, potential harms like dependence must be carefully considered.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Anxiety and depression frequently co-occur, leading to combined prescribing of antidepressants and benzodiazepines.
  • Limited systematic reviews exist on the efficacy of this combination therapy for depression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the short-term (less than 8 weeks) and long-term (more than 2 months) benefits of adding benzodiazepines to antidepressants for major depression.
  • To assess effects on symptomatic recovery and side-effects compared to antidepressants alone.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  • Searched multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, etc.) from January 1972 to December 1998.
  • Included RCTs comparing combined therapy with antidepressants alone in adult patients with major depression, with specific dosage and duration criteria.

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Main Results:

  • Nine studies with 679 patients were analyzed.
  • Combination therapy showed a 37% lower dropout rate compared to antidepressants alone.
  • Intention-to-treat analysis indicated a 38-63% higher likelihood of response within 4 weeks for the combination group.

Conclusions:

  • Adding benzodiazepines to antidepressants may enhance short-term depression treatment response and reduce dropouts.
  • Potential benefits must be weighed against risks such as dependence and accident proneness.
  • Careful consideration of risks versus benefits is crucial for this treatment approach.