Health Care Utilization and Costs in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder Initiating Add-on Therapy with Benzodiazepines

Levels of health care utilization and costs increase following initiation of add-on therapy with a benzodiazepine in patients with GAD receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or venlafaxine. Although duration of add-on therapy is typically brief, some patients are treated for >90 days, raising potential concerns about risks of dependency and sedation.