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Family Practice Vol. 21, No. 3, 266-269
Family Practice Vol. 21, No. 3 © Oxford University Press 2004, all rights reserved.

Long-term benzodiazepine users in family practice: differences from short-term users in mental health, coping behaviour and psychological characteristics

SM Zandstra, E van Rijswijk, CATh Rijndersa, EH van de Lisdonk, JHJ Bor, C van Weel and FG Zitmanb

Department of Family Practice and a Department of Social Medicine, University Medical Centre St Radboud Nijmegen and b Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence to SM Zandstra, 229 HSV-SG, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; E-mail: s.zandstra{at}hag.umcn.nl

Background. Contrary to short-term use, long-term benzodiazepine use is undesirable. Nevertheless, its prevalence is high. To prevent long-term use, it is important to know which short-term users are at risk of becoming long-term users.

Objectives. The purpose of the present study was to identify patient-related factors of long-term versus short-term use of benzodiazepines.

Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out in family practices among users of benzodiazepines with regard to DSM-IV diagnosis, coping and psychosocial characteristics,. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, long-term use of benzodiazepines was the dependent variable.

Results. A total of 164 short-term and 158 long-term benzodiazepine users participated in the study. Having a DSM-IV disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity, being older, less educated, lonely and using more avoidance coping behaviour was associated with long-term use of benzodiazepines compared with short-term use.

Conclusion. The associations found point to possibilities to reduce long-term benzodiazepine use, for example if patients with these characteristics are treated with the alternatives to benzodiazepines or are monitored closely for a short period after being prescribing benzodiazepines.

Keywords. Benzodiazepine, coping, DSM-IV diagnosis, family practice, psychosocial circumstances.


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