The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Yale University $757,563 on August 1, 2026, to develop and pilot-test a digital intervention called Emotion Regulation via Breathing (EB) for reducing stress-related opioid misuse under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279).
The project addresses the interplay between stress, chronic pain, and opioid misuse by creating a four-week digital program that teaches self-regulated breathing skills to improve emotion regulation and mitigate stress-related pain and opioid use disorder risk. Preliminary data demonstrated significant reductions in stress, anxiety, pain symptoms, pain medication use, drug craving, and alcohol and substance use from pre- to post-intervention, with improvements sustained through 30-day follow-up. The current study proposes a three-year prospective randomized clinical outcome investigation enrolling 80 participants (equal sex ratio) experiencing chronic pain and at risk for opioid misuse.
Work is performed in New Haven, Connecticut, with a period of performance from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029. The assistance type is a project grant.