BENZODIAZEPINE USE IN ANXIETY DISORDERED PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT A HISTORY OF ALCOHOLISM

Background: People with a history of alcohol use disorders are thought to be at risk for misusing prescribed benzodiazepines. We examine the use of prescribed benzodiazepines in anxiety disordered subjects with and without a history of alcohol dependence or abuse. Method: A group of 343 subjects in the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Progr am (HARP) who were taking benzodiazepines at the time of entry into a prospective study of anxiety disorders serve as the study group. Subje cts with (N = 99) and without (N = 244) a history of alcohol abuse or dependence (DSM-III-R) are examined for their reported total daily dos e, p.r.n. use, or continued use of benzodiazepines. Results: There is no significant difference in maximum daily dose or continued use of be nzodiazepines over 12 months of follow-up. There is a clinically small but statistically significant difference in median daily dose during the second but not the first 6 months of follow-up for the alcohol his tory positive versus alcohol history negative groups. Additionally, th ere was significantly less reported use of p.r.n. benzodiazepines in t he alcohol history positive versus alcohol history negative subjects d uring the second 6 months, but not the first 6 months, of follow-up. C onclusion: The presence or absence of a history of alcohol use disorde rs is not a strong predictor of the use of benzodiazepines in subjects with anxiety disorders over 12 months of prospective follow-up.