Principal Investigators:

Timothy Anderson, MD, MAS (University of Pittsburgh);

Gloria Yeh, MD, MPH (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)

Project Title: Pilot of a Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention to Enhance Benzodiazepine Deprescribing in Older Adults

Literature Gap: Benzodiazepines have been identified as potentially inappropriate medications due to their association with increased health risks especially in older adults. It is important to create successful models for patient-centered describing to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms or mental health crises. One frequently identified psychological predictor for successful benzodiazepine discontinuation is self-efficacy. 

Primary Study Aims: There are two study aims. The first aim is to refine, based on stakeholder feedback, a novel, brief telehealth intervention consisting of psychologist-led third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy sessions focused on reducing fears and improving self-efficacy related to deprescribing integrated within a pharmacist-led benzodiazepine tapering program. The second aim is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the refined deprescribing intervention using mixed methods.

Study Design: Single-arm pilot trial of the refined brief cognitive behavioral therapy-assisted deprescribing intervention in 20 older adults prescribed chronic benzodiazepines. By collecting quantitative data during the trial and qualitative interviews of participants at the end of the intervention, we will further refine the intervention in preparation for larger scale testing and implementation.

Funding: US Deprescribing Research Network