The persistent popularity of benzodiazepines.

Harvard Mental Health Letter, November, 2004

Two new studies show that benzodiazepine anti-anxiety drugs -- diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), lorazepam (Ativan), and their cousins -- are still widely used to treat patients with panic disorder and depression, despite expert recommendations leaning toward selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft).

Various objections are raised to the use of benzodiazepines for panic disorder and depression: SSRIs have been found more effective in controlled trials; SSRIs are useful for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, which may accompany depression and ...