Mindfulness support added to methadone for opioid recovery
Implementation and Effectiveness of Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement as an Adjunct to Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
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 ID | NIH-11145083 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults receiving methadone for opioid use disorder who are experiencing ongoing opioid use, cravings, pain, or emotional distress are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cooperman, Nina — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Cooperman, Nina
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 below.