New therapy aims to break link between pain and opioid relapse

This study tested a counseling program called TOPPS for people with opioid addiction who are also dealing with chronic pain and depression. The program, delivered in a primary care doctor's office, taught patients skills to manage pain and mood without turning back to substance misuse. Researchers compared it to general health education to see if it better helped people stay in addiction treatment and improve their daily lives over a 12-month period.