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Related Experiment Videos

Diazepam: how much better than placebo?

A K Shapiro, E L Struening, E Shapiro

    Journal of Psychiatric Research
    |January 1, 1982
    PubMed
    Summary
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    This study found that while diazepam (Valium) showed initial benefits for anxiety, non-specific treatment factors were more significant over time. Psychotherapy and patient-reported outcomes played a larger role in long-term anxiety management.

    Area of Science:

    • Psychiatry
    • Clinical Psychology
    • Pharmacology

    Background:

    • Anxiety disorders are prevalent and impact quality of life.
    • Pharmacological interventions like diazepam are commonly prescribed.
    • The role of non-specific treatment factors in psychotherapy is increasingly recognized.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the efficacy of diazepam compared to placebo in treating neurotic and anxious outpatients.
    • To assess the contribution of diazepam versus non-specific variables to treatment outcomes.
    • To compare physician and patient ratings of treatment effectiveness over time.

    Main Methods:

    • A six-week, double-blind, predictive clinical study.
    • 224 neurotic and anxious outpatients were randomized to diazepam or placebo.

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  • Weekly brief psychotherapy was administered by psychiatrists.

    • Main Results:

    • Diazepam showed a significant advantage over placebo only in the first week of treatment.
    • Non-specific variables accounted for a larger proportion of outcome variance (11-26%) than diazepam (1-4%).
    • Physician ratings indicated a short-term advantage for diazepam, while patient ratings showed limited superiority.

    Conclusions:

    • Diazepam offers short-term benefits for anxiety but its long-term efficacy is limited.
    • Non-specific therapeutic elements, such as the patient-physician relationship and psychotherapy, are crucial for sustained anxiety management.
    • Further research should explore the synergistic effects of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in treating anxiety disorders.