title: The use of tranquillizers among women undergoing substance-abuse treatment.
abstract: Overuse of tranquillizers (e.g., Valium, Ativan, Xanax) is frequently overlooked in substance-abuse treatment. This paper presents findings on the prevalence and frequency of tranquillizer use and concurrent substance use in women undergoing substance-abuse treatment. Ninety-eight women in 9 short-term, residential, women-only treatment centres in the province of Ontario, Canada, completed questionnaires assessing their pre-treatment substance use. Forty-three percent reported that they used tranquillizers in the 6 months preceding their treatment, and 70% of these reported using tranquillizers at least 2 to 4 times per week. Duration of use ranged from 1 month to 20 years, with an average of 4 years. The majority of participants (86%) reported using at least 1 other substance in addition to tranquillizers. The findings suggest that a significant proportion of women in substance-abuse treatment may be dependent on tranquillizers in addition to other substances. Implications for the intervention of tranquillizer overuse in substance-abuse treatment settings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, E311-4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada. rcormier@cw.bc.ca
authors.forename: Renée A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cormier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D014149:Tranquilizing Agents