TREATMENT, DISCONTINUATION, AND PSYCHOMOTOR EFFECTS OF DIAZEPAM IN WOMEN WITH GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

Twenty-one women with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) participated in a 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the trea tment and abrupt withdrawal effects of diazepam on psychic and somatic symptoms of anxiety. The results confirmed those of previous studies reporting that (1) clinical doses of diazepam are effective in attenua ting the symptoms of generalized anxiety to a greater extent than plac ebo during the first 3 weeks of treatment; (2) somatic symptoms are mo re responsive to diazepam treatment than psychic symptoms; and (3) pat ients taking diazepam exhibit increased anxiety upon abrupt withdrawal of medication. This finding, combined with the fact that diazepam dis continuation did not produce withdrawal effects in nonanxious voluntee rs, suggests that diazepam discontinuation after 6 weeks results in re bound anxiety rather than a physical withdrawal syndrome. Diazepam did not improve psychomotor performance in GAD patients. Psychomotor impa irment after 6 weeks of diazepam was similar to that seen in nonanxiou s volunteers.