Valium Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Valium, including details on diazepam, depression, side-effects, withdrawal.

Reducing diazepam prescribing for illicit drug users: a randomised control study.

Elliott L, Glenday J, Freeman L, Ajeda D, Johnston B, Christie M, Ogston S

School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Dundee, UK. l.elliott@snm.dundee.ac.uk

Illicit drug users undergoing mandatory reductions in prescribed diazepam were randomly allocated to one of two methods of delivering psychological support to help reduce their prescription: a) an enhanced intervention consisting of skills training and reinforcement, and b) a limited intervention where patients initially received skills training and thereafter only advice. Outcome measures at baseline and six-months consisted of daily diazepam dose; reported illicit drug use; Severity of Dependence Scale; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Fifty-three of 119 eligible patients agreed to be randomly allocated to the interventions. Those in the enhanced intervention reduced their daily dose of prescribed diazepam from a mean of 27.8 mgs to 19.9 mgs at six months (5.3% per month) compared with 29.8 mgs to 17.6 mgs at six months (7.5%) among those in the limited intervention group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the reduction rate between the intervention groups. Approximately 75% of patients in each group suspended their reduction programme. The enhanced intervention group reported a statistically and clinically greater reduction in the mean HADS depression score (10.6 at baseline and 7.7 at follow-up), compared with a rise from 8.9 to 11.2 in the limited intervention group. In conclusion, it is possible to reduce prescribed diazepam among illicit drug users but not at the rate of 10% per month set by the study. The difficulties of working with this population necessitate a flexible and possibly long-term approach to reducing prescribed benzodiazepines.

Published 29 September 2005 in Drug Alcohol Rev, 24(1): 25-31.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Valium Research Today. All Rights Reserved.