Benzodiazepines Prescribed to Hospitalized Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A 3-year Retrospective Observational Study

Objective: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has a relatively high prevalence in China, and its treatment often involves benzodiazepines. This study investigated the proportion and types of benzodiazepines prescribed to hospitalized patients with MDD, and assessed changes in prescribing patterns over a 3-year follow-up period. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed electronic health records of inpatients diagnosed with MDD at the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Ningbo University from January 1 to December 30, 2020. Comprehensive data were collected, encompassing sociodemographic details and baseline clinical characteristics. A follow-up assessment was conducted three years later. Results: The present study ultimately included 278 inpatients with MDD. At baseline, 236 (84.9%) were prescribed benzodiazepines. At 3 years, 102 (36.7%) patients were prescribed benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepine use varied significantly over time ( P 0.05). For selective benzodiazepines at baseline, zopiclone was the most prescribed (n=81, 29.1%). While its use varied significantly over time ( P 0.05). At the 3-year follow-up, benzodiazepine prescriptions were significantly associated with the number of siblings, patient age, disease duration, and hospital stay length. Conclusion: Overall, our findings suggest that benzodiazepine prescriptions are highly prevalent among inpatients diagnosed with MDD. It is advisable to limit benzodiazepine prescriptions for MDD patients to within 12 months. Discontinuing benzodiazepines becomes more challenging after prolonged use beyond this period. Keywords: benzodiazepines, major depressive disorder, retrospective, inpatients, prescriptions