Correlates of nonmedical use of prescription benzodiazepine anxiolytics: results from a national survey of U.S. college students.

This study examined the prevalence and correlates associated with the nonmedical use of prescription benzodiazepine anxiolytics among U.S. college students. This study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 10,904 randomly selected students attending 119, 4-year U.S. colleges in 2001. The lifetime prevalence of nonmedical prescription benzodiazepine anxiolytic use was 7.8%, past year prevalence was 4.5% and past month was 1.6%. Past year rates of nonmedical use of prescription anxiolytics ranged from zero percent at the lowest use schools to 20% at the highest use school. Multivariate regression analyses indicated nonmedical use was more likely to occur among college students who were White, had both male and female sex partners and reported higher rates of substance use and other risky behaviors. In addition, nonmedical use of prescription benzodiazepine anxiolytics was less likely to occur among college students who attended college in the North Central region of the U.S. or historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This study provides evidence that the nonmedical use of prescription benzodiazepine anxiolytics represents a problem on some college campuses and among certain subgroups of U.S. college students. These findings have important implications for developing prevention efforts aimed at reducing the nonmedical use of prescription benzodiazepine anxiolytics among college students while not hindering the effective clinical treatment for various anxiety disorders.