A digital game to help prevent opioid misuse in teenagers at school health centers
Official title: A digital intervention to prevent the initiation of opioid misuse in adolescents in school-based health centers
Funded at Dartmouth College · NIH-10977637 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a fun video game called PlaySmart that helps teenagers learn how to avoid misusing opioids, and it will be available in school health centers to reach as many students as possible.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hanover, United States) |
| Project start | November 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2021 |
| Award (this year) | $1,400,846 |
| NIH project number | 7UH3DA050251-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10977637 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents who attend school-based health centers and are at risk of opioid misuse.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not adolescents or those who do not have access to school-based health centers may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop and test a digital intervention called PlaySmart, designed to prevent opioid misuse among adolescents. By utilizing a serious videogame format, the intervention engages teenagers in a familiar and interactive way, providing them with essential behavioral skills and knowledge. The project will be implemented in school-based health centers, where it can reach a large number of students effectively and efficiently. The development process will involve input from adolescents and collaboration with health professionals to ensure the intervention is relevant and impactful.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the initiation of opioid misuse among adolescents, leading to healthier outcomes for young people.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that serious videogame interventions can effectively improve health behaviors, indicating a promising approach for this novel intervention.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth College
Hanover, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fiellin, Lynn Elizabeth — Dartmouth College
- Study coordinator: Fiellin, Lynn Elizabeth
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.