A Mixed-Methods Study of Motives for Benzodiazepine Misuse Among Adults Receiving Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21646233 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Victoria R Votaw (0000-0002-4238-3383, Division of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, McLean Hospital, corresponding author), Emma W Trapani (Division of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, McLean Hospital), Rachel B Geyer (0000-0002-0725-4666, Miami University), Dawn E Sugarman (0000-0002-8390-4755, Division of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, McLean Hospital), R Kathryn McHugh (0000-0002-3011-8697, Division of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, McLean Hospital) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 9 |
| Pages | 1328-1338 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-29 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Substance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10826084.2025.2496936 |
| PMID | 40285440 |
| OpenAlex | W4409829994 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 41 |
BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepine misuse is common among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. As benzodiazepines have heterogeneous effects, standard measures of substance use motives may overlook key reasons for misuse. Understanding motives better can inform intervention development. OBJECTIVES: Our overarching objective was to characterize motives for benzodiazepine misuse among individuals with SUDs and develop a preliminary measure of these motives. METHODS: = 10, 5 women) completed a semi-structured interview regarding motives and triggers for benzodiazepine misuse, and notes from interviews underwent inductive thematic analysis. Results from Study 1 were used to develop the Benzodiazepine Use Motives Questionnaire (BUMQ), which was administered to 38 participants (13 women) in Study 2. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis from Study 1 revealed six themes reflecting motives subtypes for benzodiazepine misuse, including (1) coping, (2) other substance (i.e., non-benzodiazepine) related, (3) sleep, (4) recreational, (5) benzodiazepine withdrawal and habit, and (6) social contextual. Results from Study 2 further supported the misuse of benzodiazepines to cope with negative affect, modulate the effects of non-benzodiazepine drugs, and improve sleep. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a broad range of benzodiazepine misuse motives in adults with SUDs, spanning misuse for drug-indicated reasons (e.g., anxiety, sleep), compensatory or synergistic effects with other drugs, physiological dependence, and recreational and social reasons. Treatments for benzodiazepine misuse may need to target multiple, varied motivators for misuse
Benzodiazepine · Psychiatry · Substance abuse · Substance use · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Psychology · Sleep and related disorders · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes · Internal Medicine
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| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |