Benzodiazepines Prescribed to Hospitalized Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A 3-year Retrospective...

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has a relatively high prevalence in China, and its treatment often involves benzodiazepines. This study investigated the proportion and types of benzodiazepines prescribed to hospitalized patients with MDD, and assessed changes in prescribing patterns over a 3-year follow-up period.

This retrospective study analyzed electronic health records of inpatients diagnosed with MDD at the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Ningbo University from January 1 to December 30, 2020. Comprehensive data were collected, encompassing sociodemographic details and baseline clinical characteristics. A follow-up assessment was conducted three years later.

The present study ultimately included 278 inpatients with MDD. At baseline, 236 (84.9%) were prescribed benzodiazepines. At 3 years, 102 (36.7%) patients were prescribed benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepine use varied significantly over time (P < 0.001), with the most substantial decrease in the proportion of benzodiazepine prescriptions occurring within the first 12 months. For non-selective benzodiazepines at baseline, the most commonly prescribed were lorazepam (39.6%, n=110), oxazepam (23.7%, n=66), and clonazepam (16.2%, n=45). The use of lorazepam and oxazepam over time was significantly different (P < 0.001). However, the use of clonazepam, estazolam, and alprazolam remained comparable (P > 0.05). For selective benzodiazepines at baseline, zopiclone was the most prescribed (n=81, 29.1%). While its use varied significantly over time (P < 0.001), changes in zolpidem, zaleplon, and eszopiclone use were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). At the 3-year follow-up, benzodiazepine prescriptions were significantly associated with the number of siblings, patient age, disease duration, and hospital stay length.

Overall, our findings suggest that benzodiazepine prescriptions are highly prevalent among inpatients diagnosed with MDD. It is advisable to limit benzodiazepine prescriptions for MDD patients to within 12 months. Discontinuing benzodiazepines becomes more challenging after prolonged use beyond this period.