Supporting American Indian Communities to Reduce Opioid Misuse Harms
Research Project 3
This project seeks to understand how American Indian communities have successfully combined traditional healing with modern harm reduction programs to address opioid misuse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11101289 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
American Indian communities experience the highest rates of prescription opioid misuse in the United States, leading to increased injection drug use, overdose, and infectious diseases. Many communities lack access to syringe services programs (SSPs) that effectively integrate harm reduction with traditional American Indian healing practices. This project will work directly with American Indian communities that have successfully implemented such integrated SSPs. By studying their experiences, we aim to identify the community and policy factors that made these programs successful.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project focuses on learning from American Indian communities that have already implemented successful syringe services programs that integrate various health approaches.
Not a fit: Individuals not part of American Indian communities or those not affected by opioid misuse and related harms would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help other American Indian communities develop and implement effective, culturally sensitive programs to reduce the harms associated with opioid misuse and improve overall health.
How similar studies have performed: While syringe services programs exist, this project explores the unique integration of harm reduction, allopathic, and traditional American Indian approaches, which is a less explored area.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Allen, Sean T — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Allen, Sean T
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.