title: The Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire (BDEPQ): validity and reliability in Mexican psychiatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Benzodiazepine (BZD) dependence is a condition generally circumscribed to a therapeutic framework. Up to 44% of chronic users become dependent. The widespread use of BZD in psychiatry requires the evaluation of psychometric properties of self-reported instruments to characterize this phenomenon.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the reliability, construct and criterion validity of the Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire (BDEPQ) in Mexican psychiatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were included if they met DSM-IV criteria for any Axis I disorder and were BZD users. A total of 150 patients were recruited. Diagnoses were made with the SCID-I and BZD dependence was determined with an adaptation of the substance dependence section of the SCID-I. All patients answered the BDEPQ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost half of the patients met criteria for BZD dependence. The BDEPQ showed adequate factor loadings with strong alpha values for the subscales and total score. A cut-off value of 23 reached the most stable sensitivity and specificity values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychometric properties of the BDEPQ in Mexican psychiatric patients support its utility as a tool for the clinical work and research as it shows to be a useful instrument for the early recognition of BZD dependence in clinical populations.
authors.affiliation: Clínica de Psicogeriatría, Dirección de Servicios Clínicos, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Minaya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fresán
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cortes-Lopez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ugalde
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines