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Evaluating the use of benzodiazepines following recent bereavement
1Imperial College School of Medicine, St Charles Hospital, London, UK. j.warner@ic.ac.uk
Background:
There is no evidence to support current advice not to use benzodiazepines after bereavement.
Aims:
To determine the role of benzodiazepines in the management of bereavement.
Method:
We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of the use of diazepam after recent bereavement. Participants were randomised to either 2 mg diazepam or identically packaged placebo up to three times daily. The primary outcome measure was the Bereavement Phenomenology Questionnaire.
Results:
Thirty subjects were randomised. No evidence was found of an effect of benzodiazepines on the course of the first 6 months of bereavement (estimated mean difference of combined follow-up assessments=0.3 in favour of placebo; 95% Cl - 6.2 to +6.7).
Conclusion:
We found no evidence of a positive or negative effect of benzodiazepines on the course of bereavement.
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