University of Utah University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Session Description: Opioid misuse among people with chronic pain fueled the current opioid epidemic. However, to date, there are no evidence-based treatments that simultaneously address chronic pain, opioid misuse, and opioid use disorder (OUD). To meet this need, Dr. Garland designed Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) through a decade-long treatment development process funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Rooted in affective neuroscience, MORE unites complementary aspects of mindfulness training, CBT, and positive psychology into an integrative therapy to target the brain reward system and reduce addictive behavior, stress, and chronic pain. This session will detail the theory underlying the MORE treatment approach, research data demonstrating MORE's effectiveness, and unique clinical skills integral to this novel treatment approach. To date, MORE has demonstrated efficacy in four clinical trials involving 490 patients. Across these studies, MORE has been shown to decrease opioid misuse twice as effectively as standard psychological therapy, while simultaneously reducing pain, craving, and depression. At the same time, MORE increases brain responses to natural rewards, healthy pleasure, and meaningful life experiences. Given these findings, MORE should now be disseminated by addiction treatment and behavioral health providers throughout the country to help stem the tide of the opioid crisis.
Learning Objectives:
After this activity participants should be able to
Apply the theoretical framework underlying Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement
Describe the application of mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring skills to the treatment of addiction, emotional distress, and chronic pain
List the major research findings from clinical trials of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement