Development of an Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Opioid Use Disorder: Study Protocol and Methods

Course overview

This course is based upon material published in the Contemporary Clinical Trials and is available as an open access article. Opioid use disorder is a highly disabling psychiatric disorder and is associated with both significant functional disruption and risk for negative health outcomes such as infectious disease and fatal overdose. Even among those who receive evidence-based pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder, many drop out of treatment or relapse, highlighting the importance of novel treatment strategies for this population. Over 60% of those with opioid use disorder also meet diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder; however, efficacious treatments for this common co-occurrence have not be established. This manuscript describes the rationale and methods for a behavioral treatment development study designed to develop and test an integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy for those with co-occurring opioid use disorder and anxiety disorders. The aims of the study are (1) to develop and pilot test a new manualized cognitive behavioral therapy for co-occurring opioid use disorder and anxiety disorders, (2) to test the efficacy of this treatment relative to an active comparison treatment that targets opioid use disorder alone, and (3) to investigate the role of stress reactivity in both prognosis and recovery from opioid use disorder and anxiety disorders. The overarching aim is to investigate whether this new treatment improves both anxiety and opioid use disorder outcomes relative to standard treatment. Identifying optimal treatment strategies for this population are needed to improve outcomes among those with this highly disabling and life-threatening disorder. This course on opioid use and anxiety disorder treatment strategies is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of opioid use and anxiety disorder treatment strategies. The course material includes a literature review of interventions. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Authors: McHugh, Votaw, Barlow, Fitzmaurice, Greenfield, Weiss Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding [opioid use and anxiety disorder treatment strategies]. Specifically, a professional will: Describe the risks opioid use and anxiety disorder pose Explain CBT therapy for opioid use and anxiety disorder and how it helps those who suffer from it Summarize why these are often co-occurring disorders Citation: McHugh, R. K., Votaw, V. R., Barlow, D. H., Fitzmaurice, G. M., Greenfield, S. F., & Weiss, R. D. (2017). Development of an integrated cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and opioid use disorder: Study protocol and methods. Contemporary clinical trials, 60, 105-112. Visit us online for a full year of unlimited online CEUs.