Manual for the Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire (BDEPQ)

DESCRIPTION 1
Description
The Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire (BDEPQ) is a 30 item self
report questionnaire designed to measure dependence on benzodiazepine tranquillisers,
sedatives, and hypnotics. Items cover all aspects of the dependence
syndrome with the exception of withdrawal symptoms. Each item is rated on a
four point likert scale referring to experiences in the last month.
Rationale and Background
The BDEPQ was developed because no measure existed to assess dependence
on BZDs on a continuum.
Existing measures of benzodiazepine dependence either focus on withdrawal
symptoms (Ashton, 1984, 1991� Busto, Sykora, & Sellers, 1989� Merz & Ballmer,
1983� Pecknold, McClure, Fleuri, & Chang, 1982� Petursson & Lader, 1984� Rickels,
Schweizer, Case, & Greenblatt, 1990b� Tyrer, Murphy, & Riley, 1990) or
categorical diagnosis (Cottler et al. 1991, Wittche et al.,1991). For other drugs of
dependence self-report scales yielding continuous measures have been used clinically
and in research (Davidson, 1987� Stockwell, Murphy, & Hodgson, 1983�
Sutherland, Edwards, Taylor, Phillips, Gossop, & Brady, 1986).
Many authors have developed rating scales to quantify BZD withdrawal symptoms
(Ashton, 1984, 1991� Busto et al., 1989� Merz & Ballmer, 1983� Pecknold
et al., 1982� Petursson & Lader, 1984� Rickels et al., 1990b� Tyrer et al., 1990).
Others have used general anxiety rating scales such as the Hamilton Anxiety Rating
Scale (Hamilton, 1959) to assess BZD withdrawal (Lader, 1983� Noyes, Garvey,
Cook, & Suelzer, 1991� Petursson & Lader, 1981� Power, Jerrom, Simpson,
& Mitchell, 1985� Rickels et al., 1990b� Schweizer, Rickles, Case, & Greenblatt,
1991). While some of these scales may be of use in research and in the management
of BZD withdrawal syndromes, none assess the wider concept of dependence.
Structured diagnostic interviews (Cottler et al., 1991� Wittchen et al., 1991,
for example) provide categorical assessment of ICD and DSM criteria for BZD
dependence. Counts of the BZD dependence symptoms present can be used as a
more sensitive indication of the severity of dependence.
Non-categorical assessment of BZD dependence from a broader view is desirable
for more than conceptual purity. Golombok et al. (1987) have reported that
the severity of withdrawal symptoms reported do not predict longer term abstinence
from BZDs. A fuller assessment of BZD dependence may beabletomake
predictions of BZD withdrawal as measures of alcohol dependence can predict
severity of withdrawal during alcohol detoxi cation(Stockwell et al., 1983). The
relationship between BZD dependence and related constructs such as state-anxiety
or neuroticism needs further work. Rickels, Case, Schweizer, Garcia-Espana, and
Fridman (1990a) have reported that higher scores on Eysenck's neuroticism scale
(Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975) predict severity of withdrawal symptoms.