Balneotherapy Together with a Psychoeducation Program for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: A Feasibility Study

Benzodiazepines should be prescribed on a short-term basis, but a significant proportion of patients (%) use them for more than 6 months, constituting a serious public health issue. Indeed, few strategies are effective in helping patients to discontinue long-term benzodiazepine treatments. The aim o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine 2016-01, Vol.2016 (2016), p.1-7
Main Authors: Dubois, O., Olié, J. P., Vaugeois, C., Diallo, A., Salamon, R., Galinowski, A., Hergueta, Th, Gorwood, P., De Maricourt, P., Lépine, J. P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Alcohol
Alzheimer's disease
Anxiety
Behavioral health care
Cognitive therapy
Control theory
Epidemiology
Feasibility studies
Health aspects
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Mental disorders
Oxazepam
Patient satisfaction
Patients
Psychotropic drugs
Public health
Resorts & spas
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Summary:Benzodiazepines should be prescribed on a short-term basis, but a significant proportion of patients (%) use them for more than 6 months, constituting a serious public health issue. Indeed, few strategies are effective in helping patients to discontinue long-term benzodiazepine treatments. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the impact of a program including cognitive behavioural therapy, psychoeducation, and balneotherapy in a spa resort to facilitate long-term discontinuation of benzodiazepines. We conducted a prospective multicentre cohort study. Patients with long-term benzodiazepine use were recruited with the aim of anxiolytic withdrawal by means of a psychoeducational program and daily balneotherapy during 3 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome measure was benzodiazepine use 6 months after the program, compared to use at baseline. A total of 70 subjects were enrolled. At 6 months, overall benzodiazepine intake had decreased by 75.3%, with 41.4% of patients completely stopping benzodiazepine use. The results also suggest a significantly greater improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms among patients who discontinued benzodiazepines compared to patients who only reduced their use. Our findings suggest that balneotherapy in association with a psychoeducative program is efficient in subjects with benzodiazepine addiction.
ISSN:1741-427X
1741-4288
DOI:10.1155/2016/8961709