Barriers to discontinuing benzodiazepine receptor agonists in older adults : a survey of older adults across Europe
Shapoval, Vladyslav (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))
de Saint Hubert, Marie (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))
Aubert, Carole Elodie (University of Bern)
Mooser, Blandine (University of Bern)
Tsoutsi, Vagioula (National & Kapodistrian University of Athens)
Dikeos, Dimitris (National & Kapodistrian University of Athens)
Wichniak, Adam (Sleep Medicine Centre, Poland)
Gustavsson, Katarzyna (Sleep Medicine Centre, Poland)
Wyller, Torgeir Bruun (University of Oslo)
Callegari, Enrico (Oslo University Hospital (Oslo, Noruega))
Grimshaw, Jeremy (University of Ottawa)
Presseau, Justin (University of Ottawa)
Henrard, Séverine (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))
Spinewine, Anne (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))
Pétein, Catherine (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))
Viaud, Claire (CHU UCL Namur, Belgium)
Adda, Tokandji (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))
Fernández Maldonado, Laura (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Fundació Salut i Envelliment UAB)
Pérez-Castejón, Joan-Manuel (Badalona Serveis Assistencials)
Patey, Andrea (IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
Corachan, Sabine (Université catholique de Louvain (1970- ))

Fecha:	2025
Resumen:	Various factors hinder older adults from discontinuing benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs). Identifying and prioritising these barriers is essential for designing effective interventions to discontinue BZRAs. To identify barriers to BZRA discontinuation among older adults and factors associated with their willingness to reduce or stop use. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults 65+ using BZRA for sleep problems, recruited from hospitals across six European countries. Barriers were identified via a 27-item questionnaire grounded in the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), which systematically identifies individual and contextual determinants of behaviour. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regressions identified factors associated with patients' willingness to reduce or stop BZRA. Among 183 participants, 59. 1% were willing to reduce and 42. 7% to stop BZRA if recommended by their doctor. Half understood why discontinuation is necessary. Barriers were present for most participants across multiple TDF domains. They included: high satisfaction with BZRA, perceived low risk of side effects, limited coping skills or ability to stop, fear of discontinuation and lack of support from physicians or social networks. Higher scores in the TDF domains of Goals, Emotion and Social Influences were associated with greater willingness to reduce BZRA. These domains and Reinforcement, Environmental context and resources were also linked to a greater willingness to stop. These findings highlight the opportunities and challenges of discontinuing BZRA in older adults. While half know the need to discontinue and are willing to try, future interventions must address pervasive barriers across many behavioural domains.
Derechos:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Lengua:	Anglès
Documento:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Materia:	Benzodiazepines ; Z-drugs ; Deprescribing ; Medication safety ; Older adults
Publicado en:	Age and Ageing, Vol. 54 (December 2025) , art. afaf342, ISSN 1468-2834

DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afaf342
PMID: 41342611

10 p, 1000.3 KB

El registro aparece en las colecciones:
Documentos de investigación > Documentos de los grupos de investigación de la UAB > Centros y grupos de investigación (producción científica) > Ciencias de la salud y biociencias > Fundació Salut i Envelliment UAB
Artículos > Artículos de investigación
Artículos > Artículos publicados