# Augmenting the Efficacy of Benzodiazepine Taper with Telehealth-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Patients Using Prescription Opioids

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2022 · $197,799

## Abstract

Project Summary
Taking prescription opioids for pain together with benzodiazepines for the treatment of anxiety disorders is not
recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of the elevated risk of serious
complications, including fatal overdose. However, this concurrent prescription use continues to be prevalent,
likely due to the high comorbidity between pain and anxiety disorders. Efforts are urgently needed to reduce
benzodiazepine use among patients taking opioids. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a first-line treatment
for anxiety disorders, and represents a safer and more effective treatment for anxiety disorders compared to
benzodiazepines. The proposed study aims to make minor adaptations to a CBT protocol to facilitate
benzodiazepine tapering and to then conduct a 2-arm randomized clinical trial with primary care patients who
receive benzodiazepine and opioid prescriptions. Participants will be randomized to receive a telehealth-
delivered intervention consisting of a gentle, 12-week benzodiazepine taper (BZT) with either CBT or a health
education control (HE). Participants will be assessed at baseline, several points throughout treatment, at post-
treatment, and at a 3-month follow-up assessment on benzodiazepine use, opioid use, and anxiety symptoms.
Should CBT + BZT outperform HE + BZT, this intervention could make a significant impact by reducing major
consequences of concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines, including mortality.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10355810
- **Project number:** 1R21DA053394-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Larissa Jeanette Mooney
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $197,799
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10355810

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10355810, Augmenting the Efficacy of Benzodiazepine Taper with Telehealth-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Patients Using Prescription Opioids (1R21DA053394-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10355810. Licensed CC0.

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