Adjustment disorder with anxiety: Care practice

Adjustment disorder with anxiety (ADWA) is a highly prevalent condition, particularly in primary care practice. Adjustment disorders significantly impair patients’ quality of life, but there are relatively few systematic treatment trials in the area of ADWA, and there are few data on predictors of treatment response. Here we review the limited pharmacotherapy data available on the treatment of ADWA. In primary care settings benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed for psychiatric symptoms, despite their adverse event profile and their potential risk for dependence. The non-benzodiazepine drug etifoxine is a promising agent insofar as it is not associated with dependence. Its efficacy and safety have been evaluated in three double-blind randomized clinical trials in comparison with non-benzodiazepine (buspirone) and benzodiazepines (lorazepam and alprazolam) . The three trials point to the anxiolytic properties of etifoxine, demonstrating an overall clinical improvement of patients, and no risk for dependence or rebound effect. In conclusion, even if benzodiazepines are often used for the treatment of ADWA, other therapeutic options are possible, with a better safety profile.