1987/06/01 by Heather Ashton · 11 citations
Psychology · Medicine · #Sleep and related disorders #Epilepsy research and treatment #Schizophrenia research and treatment #Benzodiazepine #Medicine #Referral #Psychiatry #Pediatrics #Internal medicine
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1987.tb01529.x
openalex publication_date 1987/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/19
Summary Clinical outcome was assessed in SO consecutive patients who completed a course of supervized benzodiazepine withdrawal following referral to a Clinical Pharmacology Unit. The patients had been taking prescribed benzodiazepines regularly for 1–22 years and all wished to stop. On presentation, all had many symptoms which they attributed to benzodiazepines. The outcome 10 months to 3.S years later was judged as excellent (fully recovered) in 48%, good (much better) in 22%, moderate (better) in 16% and poor (no better) in 6%. One patient failed to withdraw and three relapsed onto benzodiazepine use after withdrawal. Younger age was significantly associated with a favourable outcome, but outcome was not related to duration or dosage of benzodiazepines, type of benzodiazepine, rate of withdrawal, symptom severity, psychiatric history, marital status, or sex.