Epidemiology of benzodiazepine dependence

The charts of 10,861 patients of the Innsbruck University Department of Psychiatry were evaluated for this study. The patients were in- and outpatients admitted between January 1978 and September 1981. WHO criteria were used for the diagnosis of dependence. 1,743 inpatients and 2,130 outpatients were dependent on psychotropic substances (most of them being alcoholics). 57 (1.1%) resp. 73 (1.3%) suffered from polydrug abuse including benzodiazepines. Only nine inpatients and 21 outpatients were addicted to benzodiazepines only. Details of benzodiazepine dependence are discussed.