One-tenth of antidepressant initiators with depression simultaneously initiated benzodiazepine therapy, according to a recent study. Furthermore, no meaningful difference in antidepressant treatment at 6 months was observed by simultaneous new use status. Because of the risks associated with benzodiazepines, simultaneous new use at antidepressant initiation and the benzodiazepine regimen itself require careful consideration. Researchers conducted a cohort study using a US commercial claims database of insured adults (aged 18-64 years) from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2014, with a recent depression diagnosis who began antidepressant therapy but had not used antidepressants or benzodiazepines in the prior year. They found:

• Of the 765,130 adults (median age, 39 years; 507,451 women [66.3%]) who initiated antidepressant treatment, 81,020 (10.6%) also initiated benzodiazepine treatment.
• The mean annual increase in the proportion simultaneously starting use of both agents from 2001 to 2014 was 0.49%, increasing from 6.1% in 2001 to 12.5% in 2012 and stabilizing through 2014.