SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

This study compares e-cigarettes to FDA-approved nicotine patches and lozenges for helping people who smoke and are in treatment for substance use disorder quit smoking. About 240 participants will be followed for 6 months with in-person visits and daily phone diaries. The goal i…

This study tests a community program called Young HEROES for youth aged 12-17 with opioid use disorder. It combines medication, counseling, and peer support to help them stay in treatment and stop using opioids. The goal is to see if this approach works better than usual care in …

This study tests whether a short course of intravenous ketamine can help adults with moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder reduce their drug use. 120 participants will receive either ketamine or a placebo (midazolam) over six weeks, and researchers will check urine samp…

This study tests a 5-session virtual program called MATTER for 256 people living with HIV and substance use disorders in Boston and Miami. The program uses text messages and coaching to help participants manage stigma and shame, set self-care goals, and build self-compassion. The…

This study tests a program called PrTNER that helps young people aged 15-29 who are at risk for HIV or already living with it, and who also have substance use issues. The program provides prevention, treatment, and support to help them start HIV prevention medication (PrEP) or lo…

This study tests whether a virtual reality (VR) experience can help people who are in early recovery from stimulant use disorder stay sober longer and reduce their drug use. Researchers will compare a VR group to a control group to see if the VR tool improves abstinence, future t…

This study is testing a virtual reality tool to help young people aged 15-30 who have experienced trauma and are at risk for substance use and HIV. The tool aims to reduce risky behaviors like drug use and unsafe sex. Researchers will interview participants and track their substa…

This study tests whether starting a quit attempt during the first half of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase) makes it easier for women to stop smoking. About 1,200 women who smoke daily and have regular periods will use nicotine patches or gum and be randomly assigned to quit…

This study aims to see if training people who inject drugs to become peer educators can help their friends get tested for HIV and use prevention tools like PrEP and treatment for opioid use. About 360 participants from syringe service programs in Maryland will be recruited, along…

This study tests if adding extra supports to a group parenting program can improve early language development in children (12-42 months old) of parents with substance use disorder. Researchers will compare child language outcomes between families receiving the standard program an…

This study tests two approaches to help people recently involved with the justice system start HIV prevention (PrEP) or treatment (ART) and substance use care. About 400 participants will either receive standard patient navigation or a shared decision-making model where they choo…

This study is testing a brief computer program designed to help teenagers aged 13 to 17 reduce their use of cannabis and alcohol. Participants who are already seeking treatment for substance use will use the program and then be checked on one and three months later. The goal is t…

This study tests whether a short writing therapy called Written Exposure Therapy (WET) can help veterans who have both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a substance use disorder. About 170 veterans will complete five writing sessions about their trauma. The goal is to see …

This study tests a new therapy called A-EMDR, where people use eye movements on their own to help with PTSD and substance use problems. Researchers will compare this approach to usual treatment in 24 adults to see if it reduces symptoms and cravings. The goal is to find out if th…

This study tests a small device that sends mild pulses to a nerve in the ear to help people with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Twenty adults with alcohol use disorder will wear the device for 5 days during detox. Half will get real stimulation, half a placebo, to see if it reduces…

This study tests a digital program called RITch®CBT that uses an avatar to guide men through cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction. The goal is to reduce cravings and substance use while also addressing relationship conflict. Forty men entering addiction treatment will use t…

This study looks at whether doing yoga or physical therapy at an opioid treatment program can help people with chronic back pain who are also being treated for opioid use disorder. About 180 adults will be randomly assigned to 12 weeks of yoga, physical therapy, or their usual ca…

This study tests whether trained peer recovery specialists can effectively deliver a depression treatment called Behavioral Activation to people with both depression and substance use disorder. The goal is to improve access to mental health care for low-income individuals. Resear…

This study is testing whether a 12-week therapy program, called ECCCLORE, is practical and acceptable for people who have both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction. The program combines skills to manage emotions, handle distress, and improve relationships. Research…

This study tests whether a virtual reality (VR) program can help people with substance use and mental health disorders improve their social functioning and quality of life. About 102 adults in long-term addiction treatment will either receive VR training twice a week for five wee…

This study tests a new therapy called SoundHeal for teens aged 12-18 in juvenile detention who struggle with emotions, anxiety, or substance use. Participants sit in a special room with soothing sounds, music, gentle vibrations, and dim lights, then write about their experience. …

This early study tests whether low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) can safely help people with opioid or other substance use disorders. Researchers will treat 29 adults who are already in outpatient addiction programs. The main goal is to see if the procedure is well-tolerate…

This study tests a new, non-invasive brain stimulation method called temporal interference (TI) to see if it can reduce nicotine cravings and vaping. 120 adults who vape heavily will receive either real TI stimulation to a deep brain area linked to addiction or a fake (sham) stim…

This study looks at whether brain activity related to learning can predict how well teens respond to a program aimed at reducing cannabis use. Teens aged 14-17 will get a brain scan and then take part in 10 weekly virtual sessions where they report their cannabis use and take dru…

This study is testing a new blood test to see if it can help doctors tell the difference between depression and schizophrenia, and whether it can show if a treatment is working. Researchers will collect blood samples and mental health surveys from 500 adults over three visits. Th…

This study is testing a new family-based program (Fam-AID) for teens aged 13-21 who are getting treatment for substance use and also have anxiety or depression. The program adds extra support for mental health and family involvement to their usual care. Researchers want to see if…

This study aims to develop and test a supervision strategy for clinical supervisors in substance use disorder treatment programs. The goal is to reduce counselor burnout and turnover, and improve their well-being and performance. About 43 supervisors and counselors from residenti…

This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called tDCS can improve executive function—skills like memory, attention, and decision-making—in people with conditions such as traumatic brain injury, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, borderlin…

This study tests whether cognitive remediation—a type of brain training with exercises and coaching—can improve thinking skills, daily function, and behavior in people staying in a forensic mental health unit. About 30 adults with conditions like psychosis, ADHD, or substance use…

This study tests a method called Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) in social services. 400 people receiving help for issues like substance use, family problems, or housing will regularly rate their progress and the care they get. The goal is to see if this feedback helps prevent …

This study tests whether a telemedicine program can help people living with HIV who also have substance use disorders get the care they need. Researchers will enroll 30 adults from HIV clinics in Alabama to see if the program is practical and well-received. The main goal is to me…

This study follows 400 adults who came to the ER for substance use issues. Some get help from a peer recovery specialist, others do not. Researchers will compare how many people start treatment, how their recovery progresses, and whether they need fewer ER visits over six months.

This study looks at whether a tool called MyPath helps women with substance use disorder make informed choices about birth control after giving birth. About 400 women will use the tool during pregnancy or right after delivery. Researchers will track which birth control method the…

This study looks at how changes in federal rules for opioid addiction medications (buprenorphine and methadone) affected treatment use and patient outcomes. Researchers will compare data from before and after these policy changes among veterans with opioid or alcohol use disorder…