CONCOMITANT THERAPY WITH ANXIOLYTICS OR HYPNOTICS AND MAINTENANCE OF INITIAL SSRI THERAPY

We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the relationship bet ween anxiolytic or hypnotic therapy and maintenance of therapy with se lective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Subjects were 654 patie nts who received anxiolytics or hypnotics early in SSRI therapy (study group) and 15,172 patients who did not (controls). Maintenance of SSR I therapy was evaluated during the 6 months after start of therapy and included days of initial SSRI therapy and rates of discontinuation, d efined as a break of more than 30 days. Rates of discontinuation in st udy and control groups (84% and 77%, p=0.001) and average days of init ial SSRI therapy (77 and 94 days, p<0.0001) were statistically differe nt. Thus patients receiving anxiolytic or hypnotics in the first 60 da ys of therapy were less likely to continue initial SSRI therapy.