Still no evidence that benzodiazepines cause depression

Abstract

A large number of drugs have been implicated in causing depression by case reports and case series. For a few specific drugs, the association has subsequently been confirmed by appropriately designed studies. In other instances, a lack of substantiating evidence has lead to a gradual disappearance of concern about a potential association. The benzodiazepines represent a deviation from this pattern: they are widely believed to cause depression, but there is a lack of evidence to substantiate this claim. In DSM-IV, there is a category of mood disorder for drug-induced depression (substance-induced mood disorder), and the text of the manual specifically refers to benzodiazepines as a potential cause. Despite the apparently entrenched nature of this belief, there continues to be a lack of credible evidence that benzodiazepines can cause depression as a side effect.

• Depressive disorder
• chemically induced
• benzodiazepines
• substance induced mood disorder

Acknowledgements

Dr Patten is a Health Scholar with the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and a Research Fellow with the Institute of Health Economics.

Notes

¹For example: http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/major_depression.htm, and the popular American site “WebMD” http://www.webmd.com/content/article/45/1663_51214.htm