Table 3.
Pharmacological Management of Anxiety
| Most frequently prescribed medication | Prognosis days-weeks | Prognosis months | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | ||
| 1st Line | ( n = 216) | ( n = 211 ) | |
| Benzodiazepine (BZ) | 200 (93) | 99 (47) | |
| Alone | 188 (87) | 78 (37) | |
| Combined (with another drug class) | 12 (6) | 21 (10) | |
| Where BZ specified: | (n = 147) | (n = 73) | |
| Lorazepam | 127 (86) | 60 (8) | |
| Diazepam | 11 (7) | 13 (18) | |
| Midazolam | 8 (5) | 0 (0) | |
| Antidepressant (AD) | 21 (10) | 127 (60) | |
| Alone | 12 (6) | 107 (51) | |
| Combined (with BZ) | 9 (4) | 20 (9) | |
| Where AD specified: | (n = 17) | (n = 93) | |
| Mirtazapine | 12 (71) | 35 (38) | |
| Citalopram | 3 (18) | 50 (54) | |
| Sertraline | 2 (12) | 6 (6) | |
| Other Medications | |||
| Haloperidol | 4 (2) | 2 (1) | |
| Levomepromazine | 2 (1) | 0 (0) | |
| Pregabalin | 0 (0) | 4 (2) | |
| 2nd Line | ( n = 142) | ( n = 124) | |
| Benzodiazepine | 99 (70) | 57 (46) | |
| Where BZ specified: | (n = 96) | (n = 49) | |
| Midazolam | 46 (48) | 4 (8) | |
| Diazepam | 31 (32) | 16 (33) | |
| Lorazepam | 18 (19) | 29 (59) | |
| Antidepressant | 26 (18) | 55 (44) | |
| Where AD specified: | (n = 18) | (n = 41) | |
| Mirtazapine | 9 (50) | 22 (54) | |
| Amitriptyline | 4 (22) | 1 (2) | |
| Citalopram | 3 (17) | 11 (27) | |
| Sertraline | 1 (6) | 5 (12) | |
| Other Medications | |||
| Levomepromazine | 9 (6) | 3 (2) | |
| Pregabalin | 2 (1) | 8 (6) | |
| Morphine | 2 (1) | 3 (2) | |
| Unspecified antipsychotic | 3 (2) | 0 (0) | |
Medications used by n = 1 or less respondents in both prognostic groups not included in table
n numbers: variation as non-compulsory free text answers so some respondents answered only part of question, some specified drug and others only gave drug class