Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had deleterious effects on patients with mental health problems and several studies have shown a spike in the rates of depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety and insomnia rates have also increased among both the general public and health care professionals. Benzodiazepines are some of the most commonly used drugs in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. However, benzodiazepines are also misused, abused alone, or abused in combination with other drugs. Lockdowns and social distancing have also had negative consequences on patients with mental health problems. We assessed the extent of benzodiazepine use during the pandemic and interpreted its effects in the future. We conducted a literature search using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol and eight articles reviewed specifically reported worrying fluctuations in benzodiazepine use during the pandemic. We observed varied trends in the usage of benzodiazepines in various parts of the world. Some studies showed an increase in the consumption of benzodiazepine while others demonstrated a decrease in the prescription refills of benzodiazepine, which may be a result of gaps in mental health care. At this time, we can conclude that the current trend with benzodiazepine use is fluctuating and mental health professionals must continue to exercise caution before prescribing benzodiazepines. Future research is also warranted to be aware of the changing patterns and to avoid misuse and/or abuse at an epidemic level.
Highlights
BackgroundIt has been more than a year since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in December of 2019 [1]
We discussed the various trends observed regarding the benzodiazepines use during COVID-19 pandemic as reported in different studies
We reviewed benzodiazepine misuse and predict how the trends of benzodiazepine misuse may vary in the post-pandemic era
Summary
It has been more than a year since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in December of 2019 [1]. According to World Health Organization, there have been 170 million cases reported and almost every country has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic [1,2]. According to the CDC, from January 20, 2021, to February 1, 2021, more than two in five adults aged ≥18 years experienced symptoms of anxiety or a depressive disorder during the past seven days [4]. It has been reported that symptom rates of generalized anxiety, psychological distress, and COVID-19 related fear are 44.9%, 65.2%, and 59% respectively [5]. Among health care workers caring for COVID-19 patients, there has been an increase in the prevalence of anxiety to 25.8% (95% CI 20.5-31.9%) and stress to 45% (95% CI 24.367.5%) [7]
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