Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Psychosocial characteristics of benzodiazepine addicts compared to not addicted benzodiazepine users
Anna Konopka1, Justyna Pełka-Wysiecka, Anna Grzywacz
1Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University Szczecin, Poland.
Objective:
Although the addictive potential of benzodiazepine drugs has been known for a long time, new cases of benzodiazepine addictions keep emerging in clinical practice. The etiology of benzodiazepine addiction seems to be multifactorial. The objective of this study was to investigate and measure psychological and situational factors differentiating benzodiazepine addicts from not addicted users.
Methods:
A psychological profile and situational factors of patients with the diagnosis of benzodiazepine addiction and a carefully matched control group of not addicted former benzodiazepine users were defined and investigated.
Results:
The investigated benzodiazepine addicts differed significantly from the control group in particular psychological dimensions, such as higher neuroticism and introversion, prevalence of emotional rather than task based coping mechanisms. There were also significant correlations between the addiction and situational factors such as BZD - treatment circumstances and adverse life events previous to the treatment.
Conclusions:
The results show psychological and situational factors which differentiate benzodiazepine addicts from not addicted benzodiazepine users. This data suggest that benzodiazepine addiction might be associated with higher neuroticism, introversion and less effective coping mechanisms as well as with previous accumulation of adverse life events and/or inadequate BZD treatment. The psychological and situational factors mentioned above might be considered as potential risk factors for benzodiazepine addiction.
More Related Videos
09:55Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
05:52Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Behavioral Characteristics and...