Over $6M in federal grants will fund significant new research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) headed by CESAR Director Dr. Jessica Magidson and her colleagues at the UMB Medical School and Henry  Ford Health System. Two studies will look at different aspects of treatment among people with substance use disorders.

One study funded by NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse will evaluate whether therapy delivered by peers, those who’ve experienced substance use and are in recovery, will improve the ability of people using substances to stay engaged in HIV treatment and prevention. This includes newer long-acting  treatments that are less burdensome for people who have difficulty staying on a daily medication regimen.  It also focuses on important structural barriers to care, such as stigma and discrimination.

The second study, funded by NIH’s National  Institute of Mental Health, will look at depression as a common co-existing condition experienced by people with substance use disorders and how the peer model may address both substance use and depression. The second project will also look at how neighborhood factors influence treatment outcomes. 

Both grants will look at aspects of everyday life not related to drug or alcohol use and help create daily activities that will help them maintain their recovery.
 

For further details:

$6.4M From NIH to Fund ‘Big Picture’ Look at Substance Use Treatment