A Randomized Trial Evaluating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Smart Phone Care Management Application to Augment Buprenorphine Therapy for Opioid Use and Chronic Pain

Overview

Journal Subst Use Addctn J

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Aug 22

PMID 39171416

Authors

Laurie Gallo

Yash Bhambhani

Tiffany Lu

Samuel Holzman

Yuhua Bao

Regina Musicaro

Chloe Roske

Jasmin T Richard

Gustavo E Delgado

Zoe Baker

Joanna Starrels

Angela L Stotts

Yuting Deng

Caryn R R Rodgers

Hector R Perez

Brianna T Norton

Vilma Gabbay

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

There is high comorbidity of opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain (CP), which is often addressed by prescribing buprenorphine (BUP). While BUP is effective in preventing overdose, it does not address the psychological aspects of OUD and CP comorbidity and treatment retention rates are as low as 50%. The Virtual Opioid use disorder Integrated Chronic Pain Treatment (VOICE) study (NCT05039554) is a novel effectiveness-implementation trial to test a 12-week virtual group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) protocol and a care management smartphone application (app; Valera Health) on pain and opioid use in patients with OUD and CP receiving BUP. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, participants (expected N = 280) are randomized into: ACT, Valera app, ACT + Valera, or Treatment as Usual arm. This study is taking place in the Bronx, NY, a racially/ethnically diverse community that faces numerous socioeconomic stressors and is one of the nation's epicenters of the opioid epidemic. We created a culturally responsive ACT group protocol, and Valera psychoeducational material. Outcome measures include NIH HEAL Common Data Elements and ACT and Valera-specific measures. We are conducting a novel 2 × 2 trial investigating augmenting BUP treatment with ACT and Valera, with the goal that improved mental health and access to care will result in decreased and opioid use and pain interference.

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