Social-cognitive predictors of intended and actual benzodiazepine cessation among chronic benzodiazepine users

Correlates of (inappropriate) benzodiazepine use: the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA)

“…However, BZD prescriptions cannot be discontinued without providing patients with alternative coping strategies. Training should be conducted to strengthen BZD users' coping skills [11, 58], self‐efficacy and positive outcome expectations [11] and to lessen their disengagement beliefs [11] as such efforts may increase the chance of successful BZD discontinuation [11, 58]. In spite of all objections and in view of the restricted financial resources in the health sector, it is clear that prescribing BZDs takes less time than providing psychological support [7, 55].…”

“…Therefore, BZD use should be targeted with relatively quick and cheap methods that have been developed (e.g. computer‐tailored education [11], discontinuation letters [59]) and have been found to increase effectively BZD cessation rates [11, 59].…”

“…Remarkably, BZDs are also inappropriately used for pain [6], somatic illnesses [1] and less specific stress responses [7, 8]. Although there is still controversy about the potential for abuse with BZDs, dependence, withdrawal symptoms and side effects, prevalence rates of BZD use are high and vary between 7.5% and 21.3% across countries [9–12]. Due to these high prevalence rates it is informative to obtain a profile of the average BZD user.…”

Community pharmacists’ role in benzodiazepine supply in Ireland: a questionnaire of pharmacists’ views and experiences

“…Although approximately one‐third of pharmacists described patients' responses to previous suggestions of discontinuation negatively, approximately half reported a positive response (Table ). This is important because while patients have previously shown low intentions[50] and a lack of willingness[51,52] to discontinue long‐term benzodiazepine use, it indicates that pharmacists may be able to raise the subject in a sizeable proportion of cases without an overtly negative reaction, and many patients may, in fact, be willing to heed their advice. This could help to dispel negative preconceptions that pharmacists may have regarding patients' responses to the suggestion of discontinuation, which is of importance as pharmacists have shown greater intentions to educate patients about benzodiazepines when anticipating positive outcomes [47]…”

Prise de benzodiazépines au long cours chez les patients dialysés : une étude descriptive

“…Suite à cette intervention, 60 % des patients ayant accepté de participer aux entretiens dé clarent vouloir entreprendre une dé marche d'arrêt des BZD. L'intention d'arrêt exprimé e par le patient est identifié e par Ten Wolde comme un facteur pré dictif robuste du succè s du sevrage [42]. Le ré sultat retrouvé dans notre é tude permet é galement d'é mettre l'hypothè se que ce type d'intervention est efficace sur la ré duction de la consommation de BZD chez les patients dialysé s. Afin de confirmer cette hypothè se, un essai clinique contrô lé randomisé devra être envisagé .…”