Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42898444›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2026

Benzodiazepine prescribing in chronic military-related PTSD: real-world patterns and correlates in specialized care.

Erin Collins, Jenny J W Liu, Mathieu Bilodeau, Amer M Burhan, Murray W Enns, Vicky Lavoie, Natalie Ein, Anthony Nazarov, Edouard Auger, Ken Balderson and 3 more

Abstract read
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Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Erin CollinsMacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
Jenny J W LiuMacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
Mathieu BilodeauClinique TSO du CIUSSS de la Capitale Nationale, Québec, QC, Canada.
Amer M BurhanDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Murray W EnnsDepartment of Psychiatry, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Vicky LavoieClinique TSO du CIUSSS de la Capitale Nationale, Québec, QC, Canada.
Natalie EinMacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
Anthony NazarovMacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
Edouard AugerClinique TSO du CIUSSS de la Capitale Nationale, Québec, QC, Canada.
Ken BaldersonDepartment of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Natalie MotaDeer Lodge Centre OSI Clinic, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Sonya WanklynSt. Joseph's OSI Clinic, St. Joseph's Health Care London, London, ON, Canada.
J Don RichardsonMacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of benzodiazepine prescribing among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), identify patient- and practice-level correlates of benzodiazepine use, and examine the clinical rationale underlying prescribing decisions. We aimed to characterize real-world patterns and determinants of benzodiazepine use in a specialized tertiary care military and Veteran PTSD setting, where PTSD is often chronic and treatment-refractory, and to clarify the clinical factors associated with benzodiazepine prescribing. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using clinician-reported data from 13 psychiatrists practicing in Canadian tertiary care Operational Stress Injury clinics. Psychiatrists provided current prescribing information for 438 military personnel and Veterans receiving treatment for a primary diagnosis of PTSD. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations between patient and provider characteristics, treatment history, and benzodiazepine prescribing. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, and clinical site, and accounted for clustering at the provider level. Results: Benzodiazepines were prescribed to 22% of patients. Use was more frequent among patients with longer PTSD duration and greater cumulative pharmacotherapy exposure. Each additional year of PTSD was associated with a 12% increase in adjusted odds of benzodiazepine use (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06-1.18). Patients with ≥ 5 years of pharmacotherapy exposure had two- to three-fold greater odds compared with those treated < 5 years. Benzodiazepine monotherapy was rare (< 1%), with most use occurring in combination with other psychotropic medications. Conclusions: In these specialized clinics, benzodiazepine use was more common among patients with persistent illness and extensive treatment histories. These patterns suggest use occurs primarily in the context of chronic and complex care, underscoring the importance of clear clinical guidance for real-world practice.

Indexed as

benzodiazepinemilitaryoperational stress injury (OSI)pharmacotherapypsychotropicsPTSD - posttraumatic stress disorderveteran

Identifiers

PMID42898444
PMCPMC13677842

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.