Managing diazepam abuse in an AIDS-related psychiatric clinic with a high percentage of substance abusers. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Managing diazepam abuse in an AIDS-related psychiatric clinic with a high percentage of substance abusers.

Psychosomatics. 1996 Jan-Feb;37(1):43-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96166508
Freedman JB; O'Dowd MA; McKegney FP; Kaplan IJ; Bernstein G; Biderman DJ; Gomez MF; Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert; Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10011, USA.

Abstract: Controversy over using benzodiazepines in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population to relieve sleep and anxiety has not been addressed in the literature. Serious problems with diazepam abuse emerged in a psychiatric outpatient clinic for a predominately HIV-positive and illicit drug-using population, which led to a review of patient characteristics and prescribing policies and to a systematic problem-solving effort. The patients originally prescribed diazepam were significantly more likely to be on methadone and have histories of intravenous drug use compared with the patients not on benzodiazepines. Thus, the patients asking for diazepam are likely to have histories of substance abuse and have a high potential for abusing the medication. The authors found that diazepam can be discontinued without causing a significantly greater drop-out rate in that group.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PSYCHOLOGY Ambulatory Care *Antidepressive Agents/THERAPEUTIC USE Anxiety Disorders/DRUG THERAPY/PSYCHOLOGY/REHABILITATION *Diazepam/THERAPEUTIC USE Human Patient Dropouts Substance Abuse/*PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDpsychologyambulatorycareKWDantidepressiveagents/therapeuticuseanxietydisorders/drugtherapy/psychology/rehabilitationKWDdiazepam/therapeuticusehumanpatientdropoutssubstanceabuse/KWDpsychologyjournalarticle
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