Talking therapy may help seniors kick the benzodiazepine habit
NCT ID NCT06119308
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tested a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program designed to help older adults (55+) safely reduce or stop their use of benzodiazepines, which are commonly prescribed for insomnia and anxiety but can be risky with age. Seventeen participants received the therapy alongside a medication tapering plan over 10 weeks. The study measured how feasible and acceptable the program was, as well as changes in benzodiazepine use, sleep quality, and anxiety levels.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- cognitive behavioral therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could offer a practical, non-drug way to help older adults reduce their reliance on benzodiazepines for sleep and anxiety.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 17 participants and no comparison group, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention requires active participation and may not work for everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
17 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Nov 2023
- Finished
-
Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
55 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Prescribed chronic benzodiazepines by their primary care clinicians at a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Primary Care Clinic. Exclusion Criteria: * Primary Care Practitioner (PCP) opt out * Severe anxiety or depression symptoms
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anxiety are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can magnetic brain zaps ease the pain of a sleepless body?
- Can poor sleep make you hurt more? study probes Insomnia's link to pain
- Can video games calm anxious teens?
- Can a group program teach teens to cope before therapy starts?
- Does soreness after exercise disrupt sleep more for people with insomnia?
- Could a Patient's playlist take the sting out of nerve testing?