The Feasibility of the OpiVenture Program for Clients Undergoing Opioid Agonist Therapy

Summary

The opioid crisis continues its devastating impact on Canada, with over 13,900 deaths recorded between 2016 and 2019. Dangerous prescription opioid usage persists, affecting 12.3% of Canadians in 2018. The crisis has escalated, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in increased mortality rates. While opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is a common treatment, it falls short in addressing concurrent polysubstance use, a prevalent issue in OAT clients. Recognizing the limitations of OAT alone, there is a growing recommendation to supplement it with psychosocial interventions.

The PreVenture program, known for its efficacy in reducing substance use, has been adapted for OAT clients, termed "OpiVenture." This study aims to comprehensively assess OpiVenture's feasibility and limited efficacy within an OAT setting. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study design integrates qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to thoroughly evaluate the program's feasibility and preliminary effectiveness. The focus extends beyond immediate outcomes, encompassing the preparation for future randomized controlled trials, including considerations for sample size calculation and recruitment effectiveness. This research addresses the urgent need for more comprehensive interventions to mitigate opioid use disorder (OUD) and associated morbidity, offering a potential solution to improve OAT retention and reduce mortality rates.

Conditions

• Opioid Use Disorder
• Polysubstance Addiction
• Substance Use

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

OpiVenture

OpiVenture, a targeted psychosocial intervention, complements opioid agonist therapy for opioid use disorder. Adapted from proven interventions like PreVenture, it unfolds over three sessions. Session one covers introductions, an ice-breaker, trait overview, strengths/limitations discussion, goal setting, and homework. Session two reviews homework, explores coping strategies, weighs alternatives, introduces "hot thoughts," reviews trait-specific hot thoughts, and assigns homework. The concluding session involves reviewing homework, identifying personal hot thoughts, challenging them through a cognitive-behavioral exercise, applying insights to goal setting, and concluding with a wrap-up.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Direction 180 | Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Centre for Research, Education, and Clinical Care of At-Risk Populations (RECAP)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• River Stone Recovery Centre

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal

  collaborator OTHER

• Université de Montréal

  collaborator OTHER

• University of New Brunswick

  collaborator OTHER

• Dalhousie University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sherry Stewart, PhD · Dalhousie University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-10-15

Primary Completion

2025-02-01

Completion

2026-02-01