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Peer-reviewedCC BYBMC psychiatry

Patient experiences of benzodiazepine tapering: a qualitative study of treatment in addiction care.

  • Sofia Burmester1,2
  • Cecilia Krüger3
  • Johan Franck4,5
  • Jeanette Westman3,6,7
7 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 23, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden. [email protected].
  2. 2The Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Friskvårdsvägen 4, Stockholm, 112 81, Sweden. [email protected].
  3. 3Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 23, Huddinge, 141 52, Sweden.
  4. 4The Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Friskvårdsvägen 4, Stockholm, 112 81, Sweden.
  5. 5Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden.
  6. 6Academic Primary Care Centre, Region Stockholm, Solnavägen 1E, Stockholm, 113 65, Sweden.
  7. 7Department of Health Care Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Folkungagatan 127, Stockholm, 116 30, Sweden.
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Abstract

Background

Tapering 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

This 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

Participants 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

This 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.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{burmester2026patient,
  title = {{Patient experiences of benzodiazepine tapering: a qualitative study of treatment in addiction care.}},
  author = {Sofia Burmester and Cecilia Krüger and Johan Franck and Jeanette Westman},
  journal = {BMC psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08745-z},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850608},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Patient experiences of benzodiazepine tapering: a qualitative study of treatment in addiction care.
AU  - Sofia Burmester
AU  - Cecilia Krüger
AU  - Johan Franck
AU  - Jeanette Westman
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
JO  - BMC psychiatry
DO  - 10.1186/s12888-026-08745-z
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850608
AB  - Background  Tapering 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  This 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  Participants 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  This 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.
SN  - 1471-244X
ER  -