# Recovery-Based Relapse Prevention: Acceptability and Feasibility

> **NIH NIH U54** · JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $75,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
A single-group pilot study with 60 participants will be conducted to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a novel
treatment approach for addictive disorders, titled Recovery-Based Relapse Prevention (RBRP). RBRP is an open-format
group treatment which relies on widely cited principles of recovery to address the relapse prevention goals of its
members. The RBRP approach is innovative because it seeks to address disparities that limit treatment access for many
low-income and rural individuals. For example, RBRP does not require attendance on a repeating schedule (i.e., the
same day and time each week), nor must groups be led by the same provider or with fixed members. Furthermore, the
treatment structure is flexible and can be used with individual members if attendance is low. Also, unlike some group-
based treatments that can only be delivered by providers with high levels of education and clinical competencies, which
limits the pool of available providers, RBRP is suitable to be delivered by a wide range of professionals including peer
supports and addictions counselors. Finally, RBRP's structure includes treatment components that can be offered
through digital self-help resources (e.g., online videos, handouts, smartphone applications). This single group pilot study
will target recruitment to low-income individuals and those living in rural areas. RBRP groups will be offered within a
university mental health clinic that caters to clients from the community. Those that are interested will be screened for
inclusion and exclusion criteria over the phone. After providing informed consent, those that are eligible for the study
and outpatient group therapy will be offered the opportunity to engage in up to three RBRP groups per week. There are
three main objectives of the research: 1) To assess the feasibility of RBRP to include the open group format and a newly
developed progress tracking tool, 2) to measure acceptability of RBRP including members' experiences of the group and
relevant program components using rating scales and qualitative interviews, and 3) to collect quantitative data including
frequency of use and symptom severity to obtain effect-size estimates for planning future studies. If this pilot and
future studies are successful, RBRP has the potential to become an efficient and cost-effective method of increasing
access to evidence-based relapse prevention services for individuals from low-income and disadvantaged environments.
This aim is directly in line with the RCMI-CHDRs goal of supporting research focusing on health disparity populations and
NIDAs goal of developing new and improved treatments for substance use disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10429160
- **Project number:** 3U54MD015929-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul B. Tchounwou
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $75,500
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-08 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10429160

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10429160, Recovery-Based Relapse Prevention: Acceptability and Feasibility (3U54MD015929-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10429160. Licensed CC0.

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