Integrated care for Veterans with chronic pain and PTSD who take opioids
Official title: Leveraging VA National Data, Expert Consensus, and Veteran Input to Develop and Refine a Pragmatic Trial Protocol Comparing Integrated Interventions to Address Co-Occurring Pain and PTSD in Veterans
Funded at Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco · NIH-11295395 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will design a plan to compare two team-based treatments that treat chronic pain and PTSD at the same time for Veterans who are prescribed opioids.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I21HX003886-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295395 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be Veterans who have chronic pain and a diagnosis of PTSD and are currently prescribed opioid medications.
✕Less likely to help
Veterans without both chronic pain and PTSD or those not taking opioids are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This project will use VA electronic health records, expert clinicians, and direct input from Veterans with lived experience to design a practical trial comparing two interdisciplinary treatment approaches that address chronic pain, PTSD, and opioid use together. The team will iteratively refine a trial protocol using national VA data, expert consensus, and Veteran feedback to ensure the approaches are feasible in real-world VA clinics. The goal is to produce a pragmatic implementation-effectiveness protocol ready for testing across VA sites to improve coordinated care for these co-occurring conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Veterans could receive coordinated treatments that address pain and PTSD together and potentially reduce opioid-related harms and improve overall functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Prior pilot trials and observational studies suggest integrated treatments are promising, but a large pragmatic comparison across VA settings remains novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seal, Karen H — Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Seal, Karen H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how PTSD affects self-control and brain function
Researchers are studying how PTSD changes the brain’s control over thoughts and actions, and how this might affect Veterans’ daily lives and responses to treatment.
-
Ketamine to boost fear extinction and memory on PTSD patients
A study testing whether ketamine can help people with PTSD better relearn and forget fear when given in a guided treatment plan.
-
Treating PTSD and opioid use disorder in residential care with Written Exposure Therapy (WEST)
A short, patient-friendly plan to adapt a proven PTSD therapy for people with opioid use disorder in residential treatment and test its practicality and impact.
-
Dynamic PTSD-Related Cognitive Risk in Aging WTC Responders
This project follows World Trade Center responders as they age to understand how PTSD symptoms relate to changes in thinking skills over time.
-
Identifying brain proteins linked to PTSD and alcohol use disorder
Researchers are studying brain proteins that may contribute to PTSD and alcohol use disorder in US veterans to find new ways to help people who struggle with both conditions.
-
Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy for Veterans with Social Anxiety and PTSD Symptoms
A clinical trial tests whether a flexible brain-behavior therapy helps veterans with social anxiety and PTSD symptoms feel better and engage more in daily life.
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.