APA guidelines on benzodiazepine use

[annoyedpsychiatrist]

Does the APA have specific guidelines for benzo use? I found some of their stuff for panic disorder but what about GAD/other anxiety disorders? Only asking as im putting together something education for others and wanted to appropriately cite them

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[Stagg737]

APA has a link (below) with guidelines for multiple disorders, though some of those guidelines are quite outdated. They do provide guidelines for PTSD, OCD, and panic disorder, but do NOT provide guidelines on this page (or any other I can find) for GAD recommendations. However, in their PTSD guidelines they do make the statement:

"Benzodiazepines cannot be recommended as monotherapy for PTSD patients, despite their proven efficacy in generalized anxiety disorder."

So you can extrapolate that at least some people there feel it's a valid treatment or at least were okay with someone's opinion that it is.

Clinical Practice Guidelines

APA practice guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders.

www.psychiatry.org

 

[annoyedpsychiatrist]

its interesting that such a major topic has relatively vague guidelines from the APA.

yea i went through those and as you said, nothing really for GAD. I think they have taken the approach that is similiar to sedative hypnotics approach via american academy of sleep which is what I call, a "shoulder shrug" and confused look.

 

[forchinet121]

Well if they don’t address things directly it gives us leeway to prescribe how we see fit which is a good thing and provides less ammunition for lawyers to come after us

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

The APA guidelines are very out of date because they decided a long time ago to get out of the recommendation business fearing liability. They stopped supporting "expert consensus (consensi?)" and such over a decade ago. This isn't a big loss as it amounted to mostly a group of senior academics who decide how to do things with little evidence other than "because this is how I do this".

 

[annoyedpsychiatrist]

True makes sense. Less constraints on prescribing and pushback.

 

[comp1]

Fortunately the UK is less worried about getting sued and is pretty clear, don't use them in GAD. Recommendations | Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management | Guidance | NICE

 

[WisNeuro]

Fortunately the UK is less worried about getting sued and is pretty clear, don't use them in GAD. Recommendations | Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management | Guidance | NICE

They are also not fans of BZD use in Panic as well. Looks like the Brits know what they're doing.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

I make a living getting people out of Benzo trouble. This wouldn't cramp my style any.

 

[annoyedpsychiatrist]

Fortunately the UK is less worried about getting sued and is pretty clear, don't use them in GAD. Recommendations | Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management | Guidance | NICE

yep, i cited the NICE guidelines in my project, they were extremely clear. Gotta love the maudsley.