Emotions in Addiction Recovery Study
What we are studying
This study is helping researchers better understand people’s emotional states in addiction recovery and how the psychophysiological and subjective experience of negative affect might confer relapse risk.
Why it is important
Substance use problems cause tremendous harm to the individual sufferer, the people close to them, and to society at large. Although many people seek treatment for their substance use problem, maintaining recovery can be extremely difficult and relapse is common. This research will help us to develop a novel, technology-based treatment designed to prevent addiction relapse.
What we hope to accomplish
We aim to use this knowledge to develop a novel, technology-based treatment for substance use disorders.
Who can participate
You may be eligible to participate if you are 18 or more years of age, and are in the first year of a current alcohol or other drug use problem recovery attempt.
Who’s funding this study
This research is made possible by grant K23AA027577-01A1 from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Learn more and participate
To learn more about this study please visit the study website.
The Biofeedback Addiction Recovery Study
What we are studying
We are doing this study to better understand the potential of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback to support substance use disorder recovery.
Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback is a paced breathing technique (taught with the help of biofeedback) that helps to restore balance in the autonomic nervous system. Previous studies of this treatment have shown it can significantly reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression in a range of psychiatric disorders.
Preliminary studies have also shown it may be helpful for individuals in early recovery from substance use disorder. We want to know if this intervention can protect against addiction relapse, while also testing the latest Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback technology that utilizes smartphone apps and wearable biomonitors.
Why it is important
In spite of people’s best efforts to overcome addiction to alcohol and other drugs, relapses are common, especially in the first year of recovery. There is a critical need for interventions that can complement existing treatments and support individuals in their recovery efforts. We suspect Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback could be especially beneficial to people in early recovery from substance use disorders because it addresses some of the underlying risk factors for relapses (e.g., emotion dysregulation) in unique ways.
What we hope to accomplish
This research is being done to obtain greater knowledge about the potential of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback to support substance use disorder recovery. This intervention has already shown potential to support addiction recovery in previous clinical trials. In this study we are extending this research while also exploring the performance of newer, more sophisticated Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback equipment that includes smartphone apps and lightweight, wearable biosensors.
Who can participate
Individuals 18+ with an alcohol or other substance use disorder in a current recovery attempt may be eligible.
Who’s funding this study
This research is made possible by grant R21DA056468 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Learn more and participate
To learn more about this study please visit the study website. You can also prescreen for study eligibility here, or by scanning the QR code to the left.