Original Research J Clin Psychiatry February 2026

Trends in Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Adults in the United States: Results From the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. Clinical Summary Benzodiazepines remain clinically useful for anxiety, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal, catatonia, and seizures, but their place in practice is increasingly shaped by concerns about falls, cognition, overdose, and co-prescribing with other CNS depressants. This study tracks how often US adults receive benzodiazepines, which patients are most likely to receive them, and how often these prescriptions overlap with other sedating medications that raise safety risk. FAQ Did benzodiazepine prescribing to US adults go up or down between 2018 and 2022? 10 questions
Key Takeaways Across 2018–2022, benzodiazepine use remained strongly age-graded, affecting 5.9% of adults aged ≥56 years, 3.8% of those aged 36–55 years, and 1.8% of those aged 18–35 years; use was especially common in separated, divorced, or widowed individuals (6.9%), publicly insured adults (6.1%), and nonemployed persons (6.0%). 6 takeaways Clinical Guide How should clinicians assess adults receiving benzodiazepines for potentially risky overlap with other CNS-depressant medications? 6 steps
Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc. (PPP) makes no warranties about the accuracy or completeness of any information published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry or other PPP materials, and disclaims liability for any use or non-use of that information. Clinicians should not rely solely on these materials and should exercise their own professional judgment when making patient care decisions on an individualized basis.

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