# Integrated Treatment for Veterans with Co-Occurring Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder

> **NIH NIH UH3** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO · 2024 · $90,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY:
Chronic pain is common, costly, and debilitating. Opioid prescription in the treatment of chronic
pain is frequent and carries a consequent risk of poor treatment outcome, as well as higher
morbidity and mortality in a clinically significant number of patients, particularly those who meet
criteria for opioid dependence. Despite the alarming increases in prescription opiate misuse and
opioid use disorder (OUD) nationally in the United States, there are few treatment options available
that target both pain-related interference and OUD among patients with chronic pain. In military
veterans, this issue is of particular importance as numerous reports indicate frequent use of opioids
in the treatment of chronic pain, as well as increasing opioid-related problems. To date, there are
no evidenced-based treatment options which aim to both reduce pain interference simultaneously
addressing problematic opioid use. The overall aim of the parent study (UH3DA051241) is to
determine the efficacy of an integrated psychosocial treatment in veterans with chronic pain, who
are taking buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. To examine this aim, we are utilizing a multisite
randomized clinical trial design to assess the efficacy of two empirically supported interventions:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for chronic pain and Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention
for substance use and misuse. Efficacy will be assessed by examining pain interference and opioid
misuse outcomes after three months of active treatment, as well as at 6 and 12 month follow-ups.
Secondary outcomes, including depression, pain-related fears, and other substance use, will also
be assessed at these same follow-ups. The study will also examine the relation between within-
treatment changes in treatment mechanisms, including pain acceptance, engagement in values
based action, and opioid craving, and changes at post- treatment and follow-up. The results of this
study will directly inform treatment of patients with chronic pain and represents a significant
advance in the growing and understudied problem of OUD among patients with chronic pain. In
addition to addressing the question of whether the treatment is feasible, it will further examine
issues of treatment mechanisms to better inform the provision of treatment. This supplement to the
parent award will support finalizing recruitment, treatment, and follow-up of the sample at three
Veterans Administration Healthcare System sites, and will aid in dissemination efforts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11092499
- **Project number:** 3UH3DA051241-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
- **Principal Investigator:** KEVIN E VOWLES
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $90,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11092499

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11092499, Integrated Treatment for Veterans with Co-Occurring Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder (3UH3DA051241-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11092499. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*