RESULTS BZDs are ineffective for PTSD treatment and prevention , and risks associated with their use tend to outweigh potential short-term benefits .
In addition to adverse effects in general population s , BZDs are associated with specific problems in patients with PTSD : worse overall severity , significantly increased risk of developing PTSD with use after recent trauma , worse psychotherapy outcomes , aggression , depression , and substance use .
The results of this systematic review suggest that BZDs should be considered relatively contraindicated for patients with PTSD or recent trauma .
OBJECTIVE Although benzodiazepines ( BZDs ) are commonly used in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , no systematic review or meta- analysis has specifically examined this treatment .
The goal of this study was to analyze and summarize evidence concerning the efficacy of BZDs in treating PTSD .
Do benzodiazepines reduce the effectiveness of exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder?
OBJECTIVE Benzodiazepines , other anxiolytics , or sedative hypnotics are prescribed for 30%-50 % of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) patients . Prior data and theory suggest that these medications may inhibit response to exposure therapy , one of the most effective PTSD treatments . The present post hoc study reanalyzed results from a psychotherapy trial to assess whether benzodiazepine use was associated with reduced response to exposure therapy . METHOD Between August 2002 and October 2005 , 283 female veterans and soldiers meeting DSM-IV criteria for PTSD were r and omly assigned to 10 weekly 90-minute sessions of either prolonged exposure ( n = 140 ) or present-centered psychotherapy ( n = 143 ) . Benzodiazepine use ( n = 57 ) or non-use ( n = 226 ) at intake was not r and omly assigned . Multilevel modeling was used to assess the effects of benzodiazepine status , psychotherapy condition , and their interaction on changes on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale and the PTSD Checklist during the treatment and 6-month follow-up periods . RESULTS Consistent with prior reports from these data , prolonged exposure psychotherapy produced greater reductions per week in PTSD symptoms than did present-centered psychotherapy ( b = -0.48 , P = .02 ) . Patients prescribed benzodiazepines did not have weaker response to prolonged exposure , but demonstrated poorer posttreatment maintenance of gains from present-centered psychotherapy ( b = -0.78 , P < .001 ) . CONCLUSIONS Prolonged exposure is a sufficiently robust treatment that patients who are taking benzodiazepines  can benefit from it . It is unclear whether benzodiazepine use or other patient factors accounted for benzodiazepine recipients ' poorer maintenance of gains in  present-centered psychotherapy .  TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov identifier : NCT00032617
RESULTS BZDs are ineffective for PTSD treatment and prevention , and risks associated with their use tend to outweigh potential short-term benefits .
In addition to adverse effects in general population s , BZDs are associated with specific problems in patients with PTSD : worse overall severity , significantly increased risk of developing PTSD with use after recent trauma , worse psychotherapy outcomes , aggression , depression , and substance use .
The results of this systematic review suggest that BZDs should be considered relatively contraindicated for patients with PTSD or recent trauma .
OBJECTIVE Although benzodiazepines ( BZDs ) are commonly used in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , no systematic review or meta- analysis has specifically examined this treatment .
The goal of this study was to analyze and summarize evidence concerning the efficacy of BZDs in treating PTSD .