Patients with benzodiazepine dependence in substance dependence treatment: baseline characteristics and comorbidities

Abstract

Benzodiazepines (BZD) are frequently prescribed drugs, especially among substance use disorder (SUD) patients. BZD use disorder (BUD) is frequent among SUD patients. However, the number of patients who request help for their BUD is low. Little is known about the characteristics of these patients, as well as comorbidity, compared with those having other SUD. An explorative study with a cross-sectional design was performed. Data were collected in two addiction treatment centres in the Netherlands. The database used included 8122 admissions of patients, and provided data based on the Measurement of the Addictions for Triage and Evaluation (MATE). Baseline characteristic were obtained from registration data systems of the two centres. Baseline characteristics and comorbidity of patients with primary or secondary BUD (n = 207) were compared with those of patients who wanted help for their SUD, BZD excluded (n = 5948), and with patients who used BZD but did not indicate this as a problem (n = 1967). BUD patients proved to be more often female, older, married or widowed/divorced, and slightly higher educated than patients in the comparison category. The severity of dependence and/or misuse was higher. Furthermore, BUD patients more often suffered from symptoms of withdrawal, and from symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as from somatic and psychiatric comorbidity. Although the use of benzodiazepines is common in patients with SUD, the number of patients who seek help because of BUD is limited. These patients experience more symptoms in all the above mentioned domains compared to those with other SUD.

Keywords:

• Benzodiazepines
• substance use disorder
• comorbidity
• craving

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.