Department of Psychology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, ME, USA.
Addict Behav. 2018 Dec;87:24-32. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.06.013. Epub 2018 Jun 12.
Prescription tranquilizer/sedative (e.g., alprazolam, zolpidem) misuse (i.e., use in ways not intended by the prescriber or without a prescription) is understudied, with little research identifying misuse correlates. Identification of key correlates could identify subgroups more likely to engage in misuse, allowing for targeted treatment. This work examines tranquilizer/sedative use and misuse prevalence rates and misuse correlates across U.S. age cohorts, using nationally representative data.
Data were from the 2015-16 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (n = 114,043). Analyses used design-based logistic regression for past-year tranquilizer/sedative misuse correlates across participants or those engaged in past-year use; past-month misuse correlates were also examined in those with past-year misuse.
Young adults (18-25 years) had the highest prevalence of past-year and past-month tranquilizer/sedative misuse, with 42.8% of those with past-year use also engaged in misuse. Mental health correlates were associated with past-year misuse, while substance use, particularly opioid misuse, was associated with both past-year and past-month misuse. Substance use correlate strength was most likely to vary by age group, with older adults (65 years and older) having fewer significant correlates overall.
This work highlighted young adults and those with other substance use as most likely to engage in tranquilizer/sedative misuse. In particular, those endorsing suicidality and reporting opioid misuse are a subgroup of concern, given their especially elevated rates of misuse and the increased risk for overdose imparted by tranquilizer/sedative medication. Workplace-based interventions for young adults and school-based universal prevention may be warranted to limit tranquilizer/sedative misuse in these groups.
处方镇静剂/安定剂（如阿普唑仑、唑吡坦）的滥用（即，以非处方或未处方的方式使用）研究不足，很少有研究确定滥用的相关因素。确定关键的相关因素可以识别更有可能滥用的亚组，从而进行有针对性的治疗。这项工作使用全国代表性数据，检查了美国各年龄组镇静剂/安定剂的使用和滥用流行率以及滥用相关因素。
数据来自 2015-16 年全国毒品使用和健康调查（n=114043）。分析使用基于设计的逻辑回归，对参与者或过去一年使用过镇静剂/安定剂的人进行过去一年镇静剂/安定剂滥用相关因素的分析；在过去一年有滥用的人中，还检查了过去一个月的滥用相关因素。
年轻人（18-25 岁）过去一年和过去一个月镇静剂/安定剂滥用的流行率最高，过去一年使用过镇静剂/安定剂的人中，有 42.8%的人也有滥用行为。心理健康相关因素与过去一年的滥用有关，而物质使用，特别是阿片类药物滥用，与过去一年和过去一个月的滥用都有关。物质使用相关因素的强度最有可能因年龄组而异，年龄较大的成年人（65 岁及以上）总体上相关性较小。
这项工作强调了年轻人和其他物质使用者最有可能滥用镇静剂/安定剂。特别是那些表示有自杀倾向和报告阿片类药物滥用的人是一个值得关注的亚组，因为他们的滥用率特别高，而且镇静剂/安定剂药物的使用增加了过量的风险。针对年轻人的基于工作场所的干预措施和针对学校的普遍预防措施可能是必要的，以限制这些人群中镇静剂/安定剂的滥用。
