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Prevalence of Benzodiazepine Abuse and Dependence In-Psychiatric In-Patients with Different Nosology

An Assessment of Hospital-Based Drug Surveillance Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

L. G. Schmidt ,
R. Grohmann ,
B. Müller-Oerlinghausen ,
M. Otto ,
E. Rüther  and
B. Wolf
L. G. Schmidt*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Berlin
R. Grohmann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Munich
B. Müller-Oerlinghausen
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology
M. Otto
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Berlin
E. Rüther
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Munich
B. Wolf
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Göttingen
*
∗Eschenallee 3, D-1000 Berlin 19 (West), Germany
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Abstract

Frequencies of abuse and dependence assessed continuously within a drug surveillance system were analysed as a contribution to risk-benefit evaluations of benzodiazepines (BZDs). In 4.7% of 15 296 patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals between 1980 and 1985, BZDs had been involved in some kind of abuse or dependence. Primary BZD dependence, defined as physical dependence on BZDs in patients who had not been dependent before, was observed in about 1% of admitted patients. Linking these data with psychiatric diagnoses revealed a high risk of primary BZD dependence for inpatients (11.8%) with anxiety neurosis (ICD-9, 300.0), and a lower risk for neurotic (300.4) and for endogenous depressives (296.1) (risk 3.7% and 2.7% respectively). Older age was also related to primary BZD dependence. For depressive inpatients, the risk was twice as high in females as in males. Anecdotal observations advocate more systematic investigation of the emotional effects of long-term therapy with BZDs.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 154 , Issue 6 , June 1989 , pp. 839 - 843
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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