{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nTapering by gradual dose reduction is a key component of treatment for individuals with addiction to benzodiazepines. Although many patients recover, treatment dropouts and relapses are common. Few studies have explored how benzodiazepine tapering is experienced from the patient perspective.Methods\n\nThis qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 19 adults with addiction to benzodiazepines who were undergoing tapering treatment at a publicly funded outpatient addiction clinic. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.Results\n\nParticipants described benzodiazepine tapering in addiction care as a process marked by substantial variations in experiences and perceived difficulty. Three themes captured central aspects of how tapering was experienced: (1) Navigating motivation and involvement, (2) Replacing benzodiazepines with new coping strategies, and (3) Balancing support throughout treatment.Conclusions\n\nThis study provides an experiential perspective on benzodiazepine tapering in addiction care. The findings illustrate how motivation, coping strategies, and support are closely related to participants' experiences of discontinuation and treatment, highlighting the importance of tapering practices and interpersonal interactions for understanding engagement with treatment.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 23, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden. sofia.burmester@ki.se.",
    "The Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Friskvårdsvägen 4, Stockholm, 112 81, Sweden. sofia.burmester@ki.se.",
    "Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 23, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden.",
    "The Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Friskvårdsvägen 4, Stockholm, 112 81, Sweden.",
    "Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden.",
    "Academic Primary Care Centre, Region Stockholm, Solnavägen 1E, Stockholm, 113 65, Sweden.",
    "Department of Health Care Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Folkungagatan 127, Stockholm, 116 30, Sweden."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sofia Burmester",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-5074-0596"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Cecilia Krüger",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3716-5752"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Johan Franck",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4355-1967"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Jeanette Westman",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8701-4226"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cqy1yjq1hkn2a.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12888-026-08745-z",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13651171",
  "id": "cqy1yjq1hkn2a",
  "issns": [
    "1471-244X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850608",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220972723",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13651171?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13651171",
  "pmid": "42850608",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cqy1yjq1hkn2a.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42850608",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850608"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Patient experiences of benzodiazepine tapering: a qualitative study of treatment in addiction care.",
  "title_text": "Patient experiences of benzodiazepine tapering: a qualitative study of treatment in addiction care.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cqy1yjq1hkn2a",
  "venue": "BMC psychiatry",
  "versions": []
}