New Grants To Study Behavioral Interventions for Opioid Addiction and Recovery

Robin Boineau, M.D.

Medical Officer
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
View Dr. Boineau's biographical sketch

Overdose deaths, opioid misuse, addiction to prescription opioids or to illicit drugs such as heroin, and chronic pain management are tough problems that are often related to each other. Together, they form a daunting public health crisis that is of great concern and significance to many in the United States, including the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and much of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Yesterday, NCCIH announced six awards to study innovative behavioral health approaches to enhance adherence to medications treating opioid use disorder (OUD). Medication assisted therapy, also referred to as MAT, consists of specific medicines that are prescribed by health care professionals for their patients with substance use disorders to reduce future episodes of opioid use. These grants for behavioral intervention studies align with interest at the Center in research on nonpharmacologic approaches and on integration of evidence-based treatments.

In addition to support from NCCIH, funding for these awards will come from the National Institutes of Health’s HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative. All six grants will be administered by NCCIH.