What do systematic reviews say?

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

Benzodiazepines may leads to higher response compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Benzodiazepines versus placebo for panic disorder in adults 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.65 [1.39, 1.96]
  16 studies · 2476 participants
  Low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

Benzodiazepines may leads to lower total number of dropouts compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Benzodiazepines versus placebo for panic disorder in adults 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.5 [0.39, 0.64]
  21 studies · 3558 participants
  Low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

Benzodiazepines may leads to higher remission compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Benzodiazepines versus placebo for panic disorder in adults 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.61 [1.38, 1.88]
  15 studies · 2907 participants
  Low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

• Benzodiazepines versus placebo for panic disorder in adults 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  7 studies · 1489 participants
  Very low
• Benzodiazepines versus placebo for panic disorder in adults 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  4 studies · 719 participants
  Very low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

Benzodiazepines may leads to higher number of dropouts due to adverse effects compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Benzodiazepines versus placebo for panic disorder in adults 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.58 [1.16, 2.15]
  14 studies · 3263 participants
  Low

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines vs antidepressants alone

• Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  10 studies · 598 participants
  Moderate

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines vs antidepressants alone

• Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  7 studies · 347 participants
  Low

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines vs antidepressants alone

• Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 50 participants
  Low

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines vs antidepressants alone

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines showed no clear difference in acceptability of treatment (dropout for any reason) compared with antidepressants alone (moderate certainty).

• Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.76 [0.54, 1.07]
  10 studies · 731 participants
  Moderate

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines vs antidepressants alone

• Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies · 129 participants
  Very low

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines vs antidepressants alone

Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines probably leads to lower adverse effects (dropouts) compared with antidepressants alone (moderate certainty).

• Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.54 [0.32, 0.9]
  10 studies · 731 participants
  Moderate

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

Comparison 5: benzodiazepines may leads to higher global Impressions scale change item (CGI‐I or similar): no. of… compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAnD) 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 4.03 [2.45, 6.65]
  2 studies · 132 participants
  Low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

Comparison 5: benzodiazepines showed no clear difference in relapse rate ‐ no. relapsed compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAnD) 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.12 [0.01, 2.14]
  1 study · 36 participants
  Low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

It is very uncertain whether comparison 5: benzodiazepines changes dropouts due to adverse events (acute phase) compared with placebo (very low certainty).

• Pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAnD) 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.68 [0.21, 13.13]
  2 studies · 96 participants
  Very low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

• Pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAnD) 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 135 participants
  Very low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

• Pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAnD) 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 75 participants
  Low

Benzodiazepines vs placebo

• Pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAnD) 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 75 participants
  Low

Lamotrigine vs lithium

Lamotrigine showed no clear difference in recurrence of any episodes at one year for clinical worsening with… compared with lithium (moderate certainty).

• Lamotrigine in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.11 [0.92, 1.35]
  3 studies · 602 participants
  Moderate

Lamotrigine vs placebo

Lamotrigine probably leads to lower recurrence of any episodes at one year for clinical worsening with… compared with placebo (moderate certainty).

• Lamotrigine in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.82 [0.7, 0.98]
  4 studies · 756 participants
  Moderate

Antidepressants vs benzodiazepines

Antidepressants showed no clear difference in failure to respond compared with benzodiazepines (low certainty).

• Antidepressants and benzodiazepines for panic disorder in adults 2016 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.99 [0.67, 1.47]
  2 studies · 215 participants
  Low