Resumen de Pilot psychotherapy program for the deprescription of benzodiazepines for anxiety disorders

Antonieta Also Fontanet, Belchin Kostov, Jaume Benavent Àreu, Montserrat Pinyol Martínez, Josep Miquel Sotoca Momblona, Antonio Benabarre, Antoni Sisó Almirall

• español

  Introducción: El objetivo fue implementar un programa piloto preexperimental de psicoterapia para deprescribir benzodiacepinas en pacientes con trastornos de ansiedad en Atención Primaria.

  Método: Ensayo antes-después sin grupo control realizado en dos centros de salud urbanos. Pacientes de 18 a 60 años con trastorno de ansiedad en tratamiento con benzodiacepinas. El programa fueron 7 sesiones de psicoterapia individual y pauta individualizada de deprescripción. Se administró el test de Goldberg y QoL(SF-12) en primera, tercera y última sesión.

  Resultados: Participaron 123 pacientes, 107(87%) finalizaron el estudio, siendo 93(86.9%) mujeres, con una edad media de 44.7 años. La mayoría presentaban trastorno de ansiedad generalizada diagnosticado en el último año. Tras completar el programa, en 54(62.8%) de los 86 pacientes analizados se pudieron retirar benzodiacepinas, en 14(16.3%) se disminuyó la dosis, en 6(7.0%) se mantuvo y en 12(13.9%) se aumentó.

  Asimismo, se observó una mejoría significativa en la dimensión mental del SF-12 así como en la puntuación del test de Goldberg

• English

  Introduction: The objective was to implement a pre-experimental pilot psychotherapy program for benzodiazepine deprescription in patients with anxiety disorders in primary care.

  Methods: Before-after clinical trial without a control group performed in two urban health centers. Patients aged 18-60 years with a diagnosis of anxiety disorder on benzodiazepine treatment were included. The program consisted of seven sessions of individual psychotherapy, and an individualized deprescription schedule. The Goldberg test and SF-12 questionnaire were administered in the first, third and final sessions.

  Results: Of the 123 patients included, 107 (87%) finished the study, of whom 93 (86.9%) were women, with a mean age of 44.7 years. Most had generalized anxiety disorder diagnosed in the past year. After completing the program, benzodiazepines were withdrawn in 54 out of 86 participants (62.8%); in 14 (16.3%) the dose was decreased, in 6 (7.0%) the dose was maintained and in 12 (13.9%) the dose was increased. There were significant improvements in the mental dimension of the SF-12 and the Goldberg test score.

  Conclusions: The intervention was useful in deprescibing benzodiazepines, reducing anxiety and improving the quality of life. Introducing such a program in primary care could allow a better approach to anxiety disorders, avoiding polypharmacy.