Psychological Distress and Adaptational Problems Associated with Discontinuation of Benzodiazepines
Abstract
This study compared subjects who had received standard tapered withdrawal of benzodiazepine (BZD) (group 1) with a group with comparable diagnosis still receiving BZD (group 2) and a control group of comparable diagnosis not yet receiving treatment (group 3). Sixty subjects aged 21-65 years with a diagnosis of nonpsychotic anxiety or insomnia were included. The assessment of psychological distress and quality of life was timed to coincide with the maximum immediate effect of BZD discontinuation, as calculated according to drug half-life. Subjects diagnosed with insomnia reported lower distress in all three groups. The pattern of distress experienced by group 1 was closer to group 3 than to group 2, indicating the potential importance of re-emergence of anxiety. High neuroticism, lower education level, and lower quality of life were associated with higher levels of distress during withdrawal.
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During maintenance of abstinence, orienting behaviors towards life-values, ACT improves quality of life, which along with social support is a factor in successful withdrawal and protection against relapse.
“During the phase of maintaining abstinence, by orientating behaviors towards life-values, ACT improves quality of life which, along with social support, is a factor involved in successful withdrawal and protection against relapse [113,115,152,153,154].”
From Cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for the discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine use in insomnia and anxiety disorders (2021) · cites this paper as [152]
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- Authors
- O’Connor, K., Bélanger, L., Marchand, A., Dupuis, G., Elie, R., & Boyer, R.
- Affiliations
- Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (CA)
- Université du Québec à Montréal (CA)
- Corresponding author
- O’Connor, Kieron
- Venue
- Addictive Behaviors
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1999-07
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 537-541
- ISSN
- 0306-4603 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2020069531
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- benzodiazepine withdrawal, benzodiazepine tapering, psychological distress, anxiety, insomnia, quality of life, neuroticism, educational attainment, elimination half-life
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Anxiety Disorders, Benzodiazepines, Female, Health Status Indicators, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Inventory, Quality of Life, Stress, Psychological, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
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