Assessment of benzodiazepine dependence in alcohol and drug dependent outpatients: a research report.

In this study on 99 outpatients who were being treated for alcohol and/or drug dependence and also using benzodiazepines (BZDs), prevalence rates of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 substance dependence diagnoses were ascertained and scalability, reliability and validity of the scales of the Benzodiaepine Dependence Self-Report Questionnaire (Bendep-SRQ) were assessed. The latter properties were investigated by Rasch analyses, discriminability coefficients, test-retest coefficients and factor analyses. BZD dependence was found to be a prevalent additional diagnosis. The psychometric findings appear to support the use of the Bendep-SRQ at outpatient addiction centers, which could contribute to a more differentiated treatment for poly-substance dependence.