Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness-Only Recovery for Tobacco and Other Drug Use in Methadone Treatment
Official title: Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Tobacco Dependence and Other Drug use in Methadone Treatment
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11382249 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new program combines motivational interviewing and mindfulness-based therapy to help people on methadone treatment quit tobacco and other drugs at the same time.
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 | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $737,372 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA057631-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382249 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults on methadone treatment for opioid use disorder who smoke cigarettes and have polysubstance use patterns.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not on methadone treatment or not seeking to address tobacco/other substance use may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports an 8-week group program that blends motivational interviewing with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement to help people with opioid use disorder who are on methadone address tobacco and other substance use together. The approach targets pain, emotional distress, and reward processing differences that often keep people using opioids and tobacco. By integrating mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring skills, the program aims to support abstinence from opioids, tobacco, and other drugs and reduce relapse risk. The study will enroll participants in methadone treatment and measure changes in smoking, drug use, cravings, and quality of life. If successful, this could offer a feasible, non-pharmacologic pathway to improve overall recovery outcomes for a population with high comorbidity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could achieve higher abstinence rates across opioids, tobacco, and other substances, with better pain and emotional regulation and improved quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Prior mindfulness-based approaches show promise for individual substance use but this specific polysubstance approach in methadone-treated individuals is novel and not yet proven.
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 and motivational coaching to help people on methadone quit smoking and reduce other drug use
This program offers group mindfulness training plus motivational coaching for people on methadone to help them stop smoking and cut down other drug use.
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Helping people in methadone treatment quit smoking and other drugs
This study is looking for people in methadone treatment for opioid use who also smoke, to try out a new 8-week group program that teaches mindfulness and emotional skills to help them feel better and reduce their chances of relapsing into substance use.
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Mindfulness and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults
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Couples-based motivational interviewing to reduce drug use and HIV risk in vulnerable male couples
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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.