Evaluating the Utility of a Brief Computerized Anxiety Sensitivity Intervention for Opioid Use Disorders: A Pilot Investigation

The pilot project will examine the effects of a brief, one-session computerized intervention delivered to Veterans seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. The opioid epidemic in the United States (US) is having a disproportionate impact on Veterans. Indeed, Veterans are twice as likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than members of the general population, even after accounting for gender and age distribution. Although many individuals with an opioid addiction seek treatment, a large proportion drop out prematurely and/or relapse, highlighting the need to identify modifiable factors that may contribute to this process. One variable that may be useful in understanding attrition in addiction treatment is anxiety sensitivity (AS). AS is a well-established psychological risk factor reflecting the tendency to fear anxious arousal due to the belief that this arousal will have harmful physical, mental, and/or social consequences. AS is elevated in opioid use populations and predicts treatment dropout among opioid users. Importantly, research suggests that AS is highly malleable. Despite this, to our knowledge no published research to date has systematically explored the utility of AS reduction protocols among opioid users. The first aim of the current project is to test the acceptability and feasibility of a brief, one-session Computerized AS Treatment (CAST) delivered to Veterans seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. Because this is a pilot project and the study will likely be underpowered to detect treatment effects, we will not emphasize symptom reduction. Nevertheless, a second aim of the current project is to examine the utility of CAST by gathering data on symptom change. Finally, a third aim of the current project is to examine the effects of CAST on rates of attendance and retention in a substance use disorder treatment (SUDT) program.