Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with
anxiety disorders and to be prescribed
benzodiazepines. People with
substance use disorders are at a heightened risk for the misuse of
benzodiazepines, yet little is known about sex differences in the prevalence, correlates or patterns of
benzodiazepine misuse in this population. The aim of this study was to characterize sex differences in
benzodiazepine misuse in a sample of adults receiving
substance use disorder treatment (N = 352). Almost half of the sample had been prescribed a
benzodiazepine and more than 40% had misused a
benzodiazepine. Women were more likely to have a lifetime prescription than men, but were not more likely to report misuse or regular misuse. Consistent with data for other substances, women were more likely to report misusing
benzodiazepines to cope and reported greater anxiety sensitivity. The vast majority (97%) of participants reported co-use of
benzodiazepines with other substances and 65% of women reporting misusing
benzodiazepines via a non-oral route of administration (e.g., intranasal). Although
benzodiazepine misuse prevalence was not substantively different between men and women, several sex differences in clinical characteristics and patterns of use were identified. Further research on the nature of sex differences in
benzodiazepine misuse is needed to inform targeted treatment for both men and women with
substance use disorders.