Benzodiazepines for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder: a review of the clinical effectiveness and guidelines

Murphy G, Nkansah E
Record ID 32011001225
English
Authors' recommendations: There is a paucity of primary studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of benzodiazepines for the treatment of PTSD. In the available literature, benzodiazepines showed no clear benefit in the management of PTSD. The clinical practice guidelines generally agree that the data to support the use of benzodiazepines is limited in quality and quantity. Some of the guidelines suggested that benzodiazepines may be used for short term management of anxiety or sleep disturbances. Long term use of benzodiazepines to manage core symptoms of PTSD was not recommended by any of the guidelines. The limited available data on the use of benzodiazepines for PTSD may be a consideration for decision-making.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2009
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: Canada
MeSH Terms
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Contact
Organisation Name: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553; Fax: +1 613 226 5392;
Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca
Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca
Copyright: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
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