Mindfulness support added to methadone for opioid recovery
Official title: Implementation and Effectiveness of Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement as an Adjunct to Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11145083 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project adds an 8-week mindfulness and skills group to methadone care to help people with opioid use disorder reduce craving, pain, and emotional distress.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $654,109 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA056537-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145083 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults receiving methadone for opioid use disorder who are experiencing ongoing opioid use, cravings, pain, or emotional distress are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not on methadone, who have no ongoing opioid use or cravings, or who cannot attend in-person group sessions may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join an 8-week group that teaches mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and savoring skills alongside your methadone treatment. The program (Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, or MORE) will be delivered in methadone clinics and outcomes like opioid use, cravings, pain, mood, and retention in treatment will be tracked. The project builds on earlier trials and a pilot showing feasibility and early benefits in methadone settings. The team will also study how to implement and spread the program across clinics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help people stay in methadone treatment longer and lower opioid use, cravings, pain, and emotional distress.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier randomized trials and an R21 pilot have shown MORE can reduce opioid use, craving, pain, and emotional distress, though larger implementation trials are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cooperman, Nina — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Cooperman, Nina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mindfulness-based help for people on methadone for opioid use
A program tests an 8-week mindfulness-based therapy added to methadone treatment to help people with opioid use disorder reduce cravings, pain, and emotional distress.
-
Using mindfulness to improve treatment for opioid use disorder in those with childhood trauma
This study is looking at how mindfulness training delivered through technology can help people with opioid use disorder who have gone through childhood trauma, aiming to improve their emotional well-being and support their recovery journey.
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This study is looking to help people with opioid use disorder by using mindfulness techniques and text messages to remind them about their medication and support them in managing cravings, making it easier for them to stick with their treatment.
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Using mindfulness techniques to improve methadone treatment for opioid addiction
This study is looking at how a special 8-week group therapy called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement can help people with opioid use disorder who are in methadone treatment by teaching them skills to better handle pain and cravings, making their recovery journey easier and more successful.
-
Systems analysis to improve opioid use disorder care after jail release (SAIA-MOUD)
A program to help people with opioid use disorder get better, faster, and safer care after they leave jail.
-
Precise epigenetic drugs for opioid addiction
A tiny, targeted drug approach is being developed to help people with opioid use disorder by rewriting the epigenetic signals in the brain to reduce cravings and relapse risk.
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.