A New Scale for Assessing Benzodiazepine Use Motives Among Community and Clinical Samples: The Development and Validation of the MBUQ- 48.

The risk for non-medical use and dependence on benzodiazepines (BZDs) is high. However, there is no available validated psychometric instrument that assesses the motives for BZD use. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a scale identifying the motives for BZD use, examine the facto...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 2078 - 2112
Main Authors: Péter, Lea, Lázár, Bence András, Bajsz, András, Bőthe, Beáta, Paksi, Borbála, Czakó, Andrea, Griffiths, Mark D., Horváth, Zsolt, Demetrovics, Zsolt, Andó, Bálint
Format: Article
Published: Springer Nature Jun2026
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=194419561&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 194419561
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        15571874
        46AW
      jtl: International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction
      issn: 15571874
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Jun2026
      vid: 24
      iid: 3
      pid: 237
      pub: Springer Nature
    artinfo:
      ui:
        194419561
        10.1007/s11469-025-01490-6
      ppf: 2078
      ppct: 34
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
              size: 924KB
      tig:
        atl: A New Scale for Assessing Benzodiazepine Use Motives Among Community and Clinical Samples: The Development and Validation of the MBUQ- 48.
      aug:
        au:
          Péter, Lea
          Lázár, Bence András
          Bajsz, András
          Bőthe, Beáta
          Paksi, Borbála
          Czakó, Andrea
          Griffiths, Mark D.
          Horváth, Zsolt
          Demetrovics, Zsolt
          Andó, Bálint
        affil:
          https://ror.org/01pnej532 Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, 8 - 10 Korányi Fasor, 6720, Szeged, Hungary
          https://ror.org/01pnej532 Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Health Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, University of Szeged, 14 - 15 Korányi Fasor, 6720, Szeged, Hungary
          https://ror.org/0161xgx34 Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Marie-Victorin 90, Avenue Vincent d'Indy, H2 V 2S9, Montreal, Canada
          Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Sur Les Problèmes Conjugaux Et Les Agressions Sexuelles (CRIPCAS), Quebec, Canada
          https://ror.org/01jsq2704 Institute of Education, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 23 - 27 Kazinczy Street, 1075, Budapest, Hungary
          https://ror.org/01jsq2704 Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 46 Izabella Street, 1064, Budapest, Hungary
          https://ror.org/057a6gk14 Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Europa Point Campus, GX11 1 AA, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
          https://ror.org/04xyxjd90 International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, NG1 4 FQ, Nottingham, UK
          https://ror.org/01kpzv902 Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
      su:
        Substance abuse
        Sleep
        Benzodiazepines
        Scale analysis (Psychology)
        Factor analysis
        Emotion regulation
      sug:
        subj:
          Substance abuse
          Sleep
          Benzodiazepines
          Scale analysis (Psychology)
          Factor analysis
          Emotion regulation
      keyword:
        Benzodiazepine use
        Motivations
        Motives for Benzodiazepine Use Questionnaire (MBUQ- 48)
        Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services
        Psychometric evaluation
        Benzodiazepine use
        Motivations
        Motives for Benzodiazepine Use Questionnaire (MBUQ- 48)
        Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services
        Psychometric evaluation
      ab: The risk for non-medical use and dependence on benzodiazepines (BZDs) is high. However, there is no available validated psychometric instrument that assesses the motives for BZD use. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a scale identifying the motives for BZD use, examine the factor structure, and corroborate the construct validity of the scale. Items for the scale were generated from previous data collection and from the empirical literature. Consequently, 82 motives were tested among a large community (N = 1424) and a clinical sample (N = 113). Medical and non-medical BZD use, other substance use, and several psychological constructs were assessed in both samples. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as well as bivariate correlations and regression analyses, were performed. The EFA model included 48 items with four factors: "personal and interpersonal benefits", "substance use regulation", "coping", and "sleep facilitation". The four-factor CFA model demonstrated adequate levels of model fit. Members of the clinical sample had significantly higher rates of all four motives. The construct validity of the Motives for Benzodiazepine Use Questionnaire (MBUQ-48) was supported by positive correlations between the motivational factors and psychological constructs, different outcomes of BZD use, and other substance use. Coping motives had positive association with various outcomes of BZD use. Based on the results, the MBUQ-48 is a reliable and valid scale for assessing motives for BZD use. Exploring the motivations underlying BZD use can help clinicians in the recognition of the risk of BZD use disorder and in increasing the efficacy of therapeutic processes.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N