title: [A study on clinical features of patients with benzodiazepines use disorder (BZsUD), and characteristics of psychiatric treatments which may cause BZsUD].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of present study are to clarify the clinical features of patients with benzodiazepine use disorder (BZsUD), and to examine the characteristics of psychiatric treatments which may cause BZsUD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a medical chart and interview survey to 87 outpatients with benzodiazepine use disorder, who had consecutively visited the four hospitals, specialized in addiction problems, located in metropolitan area, during a month of December, 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consequently, 88.5% of the patients with BZsUD reported to obtain BZs to be abused from general psychiatric clinics, and 83.9% contracted BZsUD in process of general psychiatric treatment. Among the patients who contracted BZsUD in process of psychiatric treatment, 43.8% were speculated to have the other substance-related disorders such as methamphetamine or alcohol-related disorder at start of the psychiatric treatment. Further, approximately 70% of them reported that surplus BZs were prescribed without consideration of storing drugs, and over 40% also reported that BZs were prescribed without a medical examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study may let us to propose the following four measures to be taken for prevention of BZsUD: First, latent substance-related disorders should not be overlooked, second, short-acting and high-potency BZs should not be prescribed if possible, third, storing and abusing BZs should always be considered, and finally, BZs should be prescribed with a medical examination.
authors: National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan tmatsu@ncnp.go.jp
authors: Toshihiko
authors: T
authors: Matsumoto
authors: Nobuya
authors: N
authors: Naruse
authors: Mitsuru
authors: M
authors: Umeno
authors: Kumi
authors: K
authors: Aoyama
authors: Ohji
authors: O
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Takuya
authors: T
authors: Shimane
authors: Nobuaki
authors: N
authors: Morita
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Wada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001569:Benzodiazepines