Pain and Opioids: Integrated Treatment In Veterans
- Conditions
- Chronic PainOpioid-use DisorderOpioids; Harmful Use
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Education controlBehavioral: ACT+MBRP
- Registration Number
- NCT04648228
- Lead Sponsor
- University of New Mexico
- Brief Summary
This trial will recruit veterans with chronic pain (N = 160) who are prescribed buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). We seek to: (1) examine the efficacy of an integrated treatment to reduce pain interference (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention \[ACT + MBRP\]) compared to an education control (EC) consisting of a protocol-based series of education sessions concerning chronic pain, opioids, and buprenorphine use and (2) examine how theoretically-relevant treatment mechanisms of pain acceptance, engagement in values-based action, and opioid craving are related to treatment outcomes. Interventions will be delivered via the VA Video Connect telehealth modality.
- Detailed Description
There is compelling data that chronic pain and hazardous opioid use, considered individually, are significant and costly healthcare burdens in both veteran and nonveteran populations in the United States (US). When these two diagnoses are considered together, they appear to occur in a clinically significant proportion of patients. Further, opioid use disorder (OUD) interferes with chronic pain treatment outcomes and continued pain interferes with OUD outcomes treatment. While buprenorphine is effective for the treatment of pain and OUD, retention, relapse, and continued pain interference is not addressed through treatment with buprenorphine alone. Integrated treatments that target the key outcomes for both conditions, specifically pain's interference on functioning and opioid misuse/relapse, as developed in our prior work, allows for a parsimonious and efficacious way of providing treatment. Our recently completed pilot study indicated that such an integrated treatment was feasible and more effective than treatment as usual. To study this further, a multisite clinical trial comparing a three month integrated behavioral treatment that combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention, as compared to an education control will be conducted with 160 veterans recruited from three VA Health Care Systems who have been stabilized on buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. To assess longer-term outcomes, participants will be followed for 1 year after completion of the 3 month intervention.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 157
- Stabilized on a dose of buprenorphine for a period of at least 1 month and less than six months. Buprenorphine stabilization will be defined as a consistent dose for at least 30 consecutive days.
- Willing to comply with all study procedures and be available for the duration of the study
- Male or female, aged 21 to 75 years.
- Enrolled as a patient in one of the participating VA Co-Occurring Disorders clinics.
- Presence of chronic pain for > 6 months in duration.
- Current or past diagnosis of schizophrenia, delusional disorder, psychotic or dissociative disorders.
- Unable to read English.
- Have a substance use disorder requiring a higher level of care than outpatient treatment (e.g., severe alcohol use disorder requiring inpatient detoxification).
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Education Control (EC) Education control The EC group will follow a protocol that combines opioid education sessions and psychology-led pain education sessions that are offered as part of the interdisciplinary pain program. Specifically, education will include 12 group-based sessions, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Group sizes will range from 3 to 8. EC will be delivered via the VA Video Connect telehealth platform. ACT + MBRP ACT+MBRP Acceptance and Commitment Therapy + Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (ACT + MBRP) group will follow a manualized clinical protocol. Treatment will include 12 weekly group-based sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. Group sizes will range from 3 to 8. ACT + MBRP will be delivered via the VA Video Connect telehealth platform.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Pain interference Post-Treatment (month 3) Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Bank v1.0 Pain Interference- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) PROMIS toolkit measure for pain interference will be assessed via 8 items.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in opioid misuse Pretreatment (month 0), post-treatment (month 3), and 6 and 12 month follow ups Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) - The COMM measures opioid misuse risk and opioid-related behaviors via 17 items.
Pain intensity Post-Treatment (month 3) Pain intensity, including current and least/most/usual over the past week, will be assessed via a 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum possible pain) Numerical Rating Scale.
Change in pain intensity Pretreatment (month 0), post-treatment (month 3), and 6 and 12 month follow ups Pain intensity, including current and least/most/usual over the past week, will be assessed via a 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum possible pain) Numerical Rating Scale.
Opioid misuse Post-Treatment (month 3) Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) - The COMM measures opioid misuse risk and opioid-related behaviors via 17 items.
Change in Pain interference Pretreatment (month 0), post-treatment (month 3), and 6 and 12 month follow ups Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Bank v1.0 Pain Interference- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) PROMIS toolkit measure for pain interference will be assessed via 8 items.
Depression Post-Treatment (month 3) Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) - The PHQ-9 will be used to assess depression via 9 self-report items.
Change in depression Pretreatment (month 0), post-treatment (month 3), and 6 and 12 month follow ups Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) - The PHQ-9 will be used to assess depression via 9 self-report items.
Pain-related Fear Post-Treatment (month 3) Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale (PASS) - Pain-related fear is reliably related to increased pain-related distress and disability via 20 self-report items.
Change in pain-related Fear Pretreatment (month 0), post-treatment (month 3), and 6 and 12 month follow ups Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale (PASS) - Pain-related fear is reliably related to increased pain-related distress and disability via 20 self-report items.
Alcohol and other drug use Post-Treatment (month 3) Substance use over the past 7 days will be assessed via the Timeline Followback. Number of drinking days, number of days misusing substances, number of days of polysubstance use (using more than one substance), and drinks per drinking day will be calculated based on the number of days of drinking, number of days of substance misuse (where substance misuse is defined as non-prescribed opioids, non-prescribed other prescription drugs, illicit substances, and heavy drinking (4 or more drinks for women, 5 or more drinks for men)), and number of days of polysubstance use (defined as using more than one substance).
Change in alcohol and other drug use Monthly. Substance use over the past 7 days will be assessed via the Timeline Followback. Number of drinking days, number of days misusing substances, number of days of polysubstance use (using more than one substance), and drinks per drinking day will be calculated based on the number of days of drinking, number of days of substance misuse (where substance misuse is defined as non-prescribed opioids, non-prescribed other prescription drugs, illicit substances, and heavy drinking (4 or more drinks for women, 5 or more drinks for men)), and number of days of polysubstance use (defined as using more than one substance).
Trial Locations
- Locations (4)
San Francisco VA Health Care System
🇺🇸San Francisco, California, United States
New Mexico VA Healthcare System
🇺🇸Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
University of New Mexico
🇺🇸Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Puget Sound VA Healthcare System
🇺🇸Tacoma, Washington, United States