Table 1.
Characteristics of study population according to their benzodiazepine use
| Cohort (n = 511) | Benzodiazepine users (n = 455) | Benzodiazepine hypnotic users (n = 64) | Benzodiazepine anxiolytic users (n = 447) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | |
| Sociodemographic characteristics | ||||||||
| Female | 253 | 49.5 | 228 | 50.1 | 28 | 43.8 | 223 | 49.9 |
| Age (y), mean (SD) | 43 | (16.5) | 43 | (16.5) | 51 | (16.6) | 44 | (16.4) |
| 18–64 y | 458 | 89.6 | 404 | 88.8 | 50 | 78.1 | 398 | 89.0 |
| 65+ y | 53 | 10.4 | 51 | 11.2 | 14 | 21.9 | 49 | 11.0 |
| Working | 121 | 23.7 | 107 | 23.6 | 12 | 18.8 | 106 | 23.7 |
| Single | 321 | 62.8 | 281 | 61.8 | 41 | 64.1 | 278 | 62.2 |
| Living alone | 233 | 45.6 | 212 | 46.6 | 39 | 60.9 | 209 | 46.8 |
| Medical characteristics | ||||||||
| Compulsory hospitalisation | 140 | 27.4 | 123 | 27.0 | 21 | 32.8 | 119 | 26.6 |
| Hospital stay duration (days), median (IQR) | 16 | (6–36) | 18 | (7–37) | 23 | (6–53) | 18 | (7–37) |
| Previous hospitalisation | ||||||||
| 0 | 206 | 40.3 | 182 | 40.0 | 24 | 37.5 | 178 | 39.8 |
| 1 | 107 | 20.9 | 97 | 21.3 | 16 | 25 | 96 | 21.5 |
| 2+ | 186 | 36.4 | 167 | 36.7 | 23 | 35.9 | 164 | 36.7 |
| Unknown | 12 | 2.3 | 9 | 2.0 | 1 | 1.6 | 9 | 2.0 |
| Suicide attempt | ||||||||
| 0 | 310 | 60.7 | 275 | 60.4 | 36 | 56.3 | 271 | 60.6 |
| 1 | 124 | 24.3 | 109 | 24.0 | 17 | 26.6 | 107 | 23.9 |
| 2+ | 43 | 8.4 | 39 | 8.6 | 4 | 6.3 | 39 | 8.7 |
| Unknown | 34 | 6.7 | 32 | 7.0 | 7 | 10.9 | 30 | 6.7 |
| Main psychiatric diagnosis | ||||||||
| Psychotic disorder | 153 | 29.9 | 133 | 29.2 | 12 | 18.8 | 130 | 29.1 |
| Bipolar disorder | 113 | 22.1 | 100 | 22.0 | 14 | 21.9 | 96 | 21.5 |
| Anxiety disorder | 28 | 5.5 | 26 | 5.7 | 4 | 6.3 | 26 | 5.8 |
| Personality disorder | 26 | 5.1 | 24 | 5.3 | 4 | 6.3 | 23 | 5.1 |
| Adaptation disorder | 34 | 6.7 | 26 | 5.7 | 1 | 1.6 | 26 | 5.8 |
| Unipolar depressive disorder | 107 | 20.9 | 100 | 22.0 | 23 | 35.9 | 100 | 22.4 |
| Alcohol use disorder | 38 | 7.4 | 26 | 5.7 | 6 | 9.4 | 36 | 8.1 |
| Substance use disorder | 11 | 2.2 | 10 | 2.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 10 | 2.2 |
| Eating disorder | 1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Comorbid psychiatric diagnosis | ||||||||
| Anxiety disorder | 13 | 2.5 | 13 | 2.9 | 1 | 1.6 | 13 | 2.9 |
| Personality disorder | 39 | 7.6 | 37 | 8.1 | 6 | 9.4 | 36 | 8.1 |
| Adaptation disorder | 28 | 5.5 | 26 | 5.7 | 4 | 6.3 | 26 | 5.8 |
| Unipolar depressive disorder | 24 | 4.7 | 22 | 4.8 | 5 | 7.8 | 22 | 4.9 |
| Alcohol use disorder | 41 | 8.0 | 40 | 8.8 | 5 | 7.8 | 40 | 8.9 |
| Substance use disorder | 30 | 5.9 | 28 | 6.2 | 1 | 1.6 | 28 | 6.3 |
| Eating disorder | 2 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0.4 |
| Number of psychiatric comorbid diagnoses | ||||||||
| 0 | 382 | 74.8 | 332 | 73.0 | 48 | 75.0 | 325 | 72.7 |
| 1 | 86 | 16.8 | 83 | 18.2 | 11 | 17.2 | 82 | 18.3 |
| ≥ 2 | 43 | 8.4 | 40 | 8.8 | 5 | 7.8 | 40 | 8.9 |
| Chronic somatic disease | 141 | 27.6 | 132 | 29.0 | 21 | 32.8 | 129 | 28.9 |
| Other psychotropic drugs prescribed during hospitalisation | ||||||||
| Antidepressant | 129 | 25.2 | 124 | 27.3 | 30 | 46.9 | 123 | 27.5 |
| Antipsychotic | 311 | 60.9 | 276 | 60.7 | 37 | 57.8 | 270 | 60.4 |
| Mood stabilisers | 108 | 21.1 | 99 | 21.8 | 11 | 17.2 | 96 | 21.5 |
| Drug to treat addiction | 72 | 14.1 | 69 | 15.2 | 10 | 15.6 | 67 | 15.0 |
| Other sedative drugs | 36 | 7.0 | 27 | 5.9 | 7 | 10.9 | 25 | 5.6 |
SD: standard deviation; IQR: interquartile range