Associations of benzodiazepine craving with other clinical variables in a population of general practice patients
Abstract
Background
The aim of this study was to (1) describe the characteristics of patients reporting craving for benzodiazepines (BZs) and (2) to search for associations between BZ craving and other clinical variables in a population of general practice (GP) patients who have made an attempt to discontinue their long-term BZ use.
Methods
The Benzodiazepine Craving Questionnaire (BCQ) and other self-report questionnaires were administered once to a population of 113 long-term and 80 former long-term GP BZ users participating in a large BZ reduction trial in GP. Cross-sectional data were gathered on self-reported BZ craving (BCQ), self-reported BZ dependence severity (Bendep-SRQ), psychopathology (General Health Questionnaire 12-item version), mood state (Profile of Mood States), personality (Dutch shortened MMPI), and lifestyle characteristics. Differences between patients who reported craving and patients who did not were analyzed univariately. Multivariate analyses were performed on variables significantly associated with craving, controlling for current use status.
Results
(1) Patients reporting craving differed significantly from patients not reporting craving on aspects of BZ dependence severity, psychopathology, negative mood state, and personality. (2) Negative mood and somatization were positively associated with BZ craving, although only the contribution of negative mood to craving was statistically significant for the total group of (former) BZ users (P = .002).
Conclusions
Self-reported negative mood and somatization are positively associated with BZ craving. In future BZ craving research, personality factors should be further explored.
aDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre St. Radboud, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
bDepartment of General Practice and Family Medicine, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
cDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
dDepartment of Psychiatry and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
eDepartment of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
Corresponding author. Rijngeest Groep, Centrum Autisme, PO Box 750, 2300 AT Leiden, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 71 8907800; fax: +31 71 8907801.
ABSTRACT