HIGH PREVALENCE OF BENZODIAZEPINE DEPENDENCE IN OUTPATIENT USERS, BASED ON THE DSM-III-R AND ICD-10 CRITERIA

Despite the fact that there have been many reports on benzodiazepine ( BZD) dependence, consensus about its definition has not been reached. Reliable prevalence data to estimate the dependence liability of BZDs are therefore lacking. This study is the first to assess the prevalenc e of BZD dependence in out-patient BZD users (115 general practice (GP ) patients, 124 psychiatric out-patients and 33 self-help patients) on the basis of the DSM-III-R and ICD-10 substance dependence criteria. Past year and lifetime diagnoses of BZD dependence were made by means of the Schedules for Clinical Assessments in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). H igh prevalence figures were found, ranging from 40% in the GP patients (DSM-III-R past year) to 97% in the self-help patients (ICD-10 Lifeti me), indicating that BZD users run a high risk of developing BZD depen dence. The clinical management of BZD use could benefit from further d evelopment of diagnostic instruments such as a self-report questionnai re which reflects the severity of BZD dependence.