Pilot of Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement in MethadoneTreatment

Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Pain; Opioid Use

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement; Behavioral: Methadone program behavioral treatment as usual

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03894501

2018001127

Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot study aims to evaluate the impact of a novel intervention, Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), on opioid use and chronic pain among individuals receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The main goal of this pilot study is to test the feasibility of our study methods before conducting a clinical trial to assess MORE with respect to a range of clinical outcomes. This study will involve a 2-arm individually randomized controlled trial design that compares MORE and treatment as usual (TAU).

Full description

This pilot study is a 2-arm individually randomized controlled trial design in which outcomes of MMT patients randomized to MORE are compared to outcomes of those randomized to treatment as usual (TAU). In the pilot study (R21; N=30), we will randomize MMT patients with chronic pain to MORE (n=15) or TAU (n=15). This study phase will focus on establishing study feasibility in recruiting, retaining, and following up study participants before progressing to a larger Phase II clinical trial (R33, N=150). Participants with pain who are receiving MMT for an opioid use disorder (OUD) will be recruited from two methadone clinics in New Jersey.

Participants will be recruited through flyers posted in the clinics, being approached by research assistants in the waiting room of their usual methadone clinic, and referral by clinic staff. The number of individuals who contact the study staff through the flyers or referral and who are approached by study staff in the clinics will be tracked. Number of individuals who refuse study participation and who consent to the study will also be tracked. If an individual is interested in study participation, a trained research assistant will lead the individual through the informed consent process in a private space.

Since MORE is a closed group, we will randomize cohorts of 14-16 participants (depending on speed of recruitment) at each site to TAU or MORE with block randomization. Once we 14-16 participants at a particular clinic, we will randomize participants to MORE or TAU, and the MORE group will begin.

Participants randomized to the MORE condition will participate in eight, weekly, two-hour group sessions led by a clinic or study counselor. Each session will contain 6-8 participants and take place in a private room at the methadone clinic. Attendance at each session and reasons for missing sessions will be recorded Participants randomized to the control condition will continue receiving treatment as usual.

All study participants will partake in a total of three interviews lasting up to 90 minutes and occurring at baseline, 8- and 16- weeks post-baseline in private rooms in the methadone clinics. Each participant will also have a urine or saliva sample collected during each assessment. All attempts to reach participants to schedule follow-up assessments will be tracked. Participants will also complete cognitive testing (for approx. 30-45 minutes) at baseline and 8-weeks and ecological momentary assessments (EMA) conducted via smartphones, which will be provided to each participant by study staff. EMA participation will require the participant to respond to twice-daily prompts in which they will be asked a series of brief questions regarding their current mood and exposure to opioid triggers. Additionally, subjects will be asked to initiate responses when they experience serious craving or relapse to opioid use. Each EMA assessment will last approximately 3-5 minutes.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 or older
• English-speaking
• Been in methadone treatment for at least 3 months
• Experience a non-malignant pain (with an intensity level of 8 or higher on the Gracely Box Scale) for a duration of 2 months or longer.

Exclusion criteria

• Exhibit cognitive impairment (score <24 on the Mini Mental Status Exam)
• Exhibit psychosis (positive SCID Psychotic Screen),
• Are at suicidal risk (positive score on ASQ Suicide Risk Screening Tool)
• Unable to attend group sessions due to distance, work, commitments or other logistical problems,
• Are currently pregnant or breastfeeding
• Are planning to be pregnant or breastfeeding the next 16 weeks.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement

Experimental group

Description:

The Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement arm will participate in eight, weekly, two-hour group sessions.MORE sessions involve mindfulness training to prevent opioid relapse and reduce pain, cognitive reappraisal to decrease negative affect and regulate opioid craving, and savoring to augment natural reward processing and evoke positive emotion. Each session begins with a mindful breathing meditation, followed by a debriefing session. The therapist then debriefs participants' homework practice of using mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring skills to cope with pain and enhance well-being in everyday life. During this debrief of the homework. Next, new psychoeducational material is introduced. Sessions culminate with an experiential exercise, and close with a brief mindful breathing meditation. Participants are asked to practice 15 minutes of mindfulness/reappraisal/savoring skills each day.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement

Methadone program behavioral treatment as usual

Other group

Description:

In the methadone programs, clients typically come to the clinic regularly to get their methadone dose. Clients see their clinic substance abuse counselor for individual counseling, usually weekly at the beginning of treatment, with decreasing frequency if they remain abstinent and progress through treatment. Depending on clients' stage of MMT and success with remaining abstinent from drugs, they may be required to attend clinic treatment groups. Also, some clients may choose to go to voluntary counseling, educational, or support groups.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Methadone program behavioral treatment as usual