Determinants of Quality of Life in High-Dose Benzodiazepine Misusers

Stefano Tamburin, Angela Federico, Marco Faccini, Rebecca Casari, Laura Morbioli, Valentina Sartore, Antonio Mirijello, Giovanni Addolorato and Fabio Lugoboni
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Stefano Tamburin: Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy
Angela Federico: Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy
Marco Faccini: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy
Rebecca Casari: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy
Laura Morbioli: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy
Valentina Sartore: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy
Antonio Mirijello: Alcohol Use Disorders Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Catholic University of Rome, Rome 00168, Italy
Giovanni Addolorato: Alcohol Use Disorders Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Catholic University of Rome, Rome 00168, Italy
Fabio Lugoboni: Department of Internal Medicine, Addiction Unit, Verona University Hospital, Piazzale Scuro 10, Verona 37134, Italy

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs in developed countries, but they have a high potential for tolerance, dependence and misuse. High-dose BZD misuse represents an emerging addiction phenomenon, but data on quality of life (QoL) in high-dose BZD misusers are scant. This study aimed to explore QoL in high-dose BZD misuse. We recruited 267 high-dose BZD misusers, compared the QoL scores in those who took BZD only to poly-drug misusers, and explored the role of demographic and clinical covariates through multivariable analysis. Our data confirmed worse QoL in high-dose BZD misusers and showed that (a) QoL scores were not negatively influenced by the misuse of alcohol or other drugs, or by coexisting psychiatric disorders; (b) demographic variables turned out to be the most significant predictors of QoL scores; (c) BZD intake significantly and negatively influenced QoL. Physical and psychological dimensions of QoL are significantly lower in high-dose BZD misusers with no significant effect of comorbidities. Our data suggest that the main reason for poor QoL in these patients is high-dose BZD intake per se. QoL should be considered among outcome measures in these patients.

Keywords: 12-Items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); addiction; benzodiazepine (BZD); drug misuse; multivariable analysis; patient-centered outcomes; quality of life (QoL); Short Form-36 (SF-36) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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