J Clin Psychiatry. 2026 Feb 18;87(1):25m16125. doi: 10.4088/JCP.25m16125.
ABSTRACT
Objective: This study describes recent trends in benzodiazepine prescribing to US adults and characterizes patients who receive benzodiazepines and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
Method: This repeated cross-sectional study analyzed benzodiazepine use by adults (ages ≥18 years) in the 2018-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, which are nationally representative surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. We examined sex-adjusted annual trends (2018-2022) in benzodiazepine use by age group (ages 18-35, 36-55, and ≥56 years) and pooled marginal differences by age group in any benzodiazepine use and in benzodiazepine use and other CNS-depressant medications, stratified by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.
Results: The analysis involved 104,231 participants. Between 2018 and 2022, annual benzodiazepine use by US adults decreased from 4.7% to 3.4%. This included a greater decrease for adults ages ≥56 years (7.2% to 4.7%) than for those ages 36-55 years (4.4% to 3.4%) or 18-35 years (2.1% to 1.8%). Approximately 41.6% adults treated with benzodiazepines also received other CNS-depressant medications in the same year including a higher percentage aged 36-55 years (44.6%) or ≥56 years (42.9%) than 18-35 years (30.0%). Most benzodiazepine-treated adults with fair or poor general health (72.0%) or with serious psychological distress (62.9%) also received other CNS-depressant medications.
Conclusions: Benzodiazepine treatment decreased among US adults between 2018 and 2022, with a greater decline among adults ≥56 years than those 36-55 or 18-35 years. Prescription of benzodiazepines to adults who also received other CNS depressants was common, especially among adults in fair or poor general health or with serious psychological distress.
PMID:41734365 | DOI:10.4088/JCP.25m16125
