An Immersive Virtual Reality Peer Support Application for Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder: Development and Initial Evaluation

PROJECT SUMMARY Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in the United States with approximately 72,000 people dying from drug overdose in 2017. Many of these fatalities occurred in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), which is one of the greatest public health issues confronting the United States today. Digital Recovery Support Services (DRSs) that include peer support, psychoeducation, and other continuing care services, have the potential to circumvent many of the limitations attendant with agonist medication treatment and traditional psychosocial interventions for OUD. DRSs are highly accessible and provide continuous access to peer support to influence recovery outcomes by helping individuals break ties to pro-substance-use peers and establish ties to pro-recovery-peers. The goal of the proposed project is to explore the feasibility of a new type of immersive Digital Recovery Support Service that delivers live, synchronous peer-based social support in virtual reality (VR) for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder. This project will involve two primary aims: (1) to develop a minimum viable product through initial acceptance and usability testing with 30 OUD patients receiving medication assisted treatment, and (2) to assess the impact of the intervention on patient mood and perceived social support. This new type of VR application may help individuals at home during moments of relapse risk, allowing them to “leave” (in their own minds) a potentially challenging or triggering environment and instead become immersed in a recovery-focused social world. If effective, this intervention could help to combat the opioid crisis and save the lives of thousands of Americans.PROJECT NARRATIVE This project addresses the need for accessible and affordable behavioral interventions to address the opioid crisis in the United States. We will explore the feasibility of a novel Digital Recovery Support Service that delivers live, synchronous peer-based social support in immersive Virtual Reality (VR) for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder. This VR intervention is intended to prevent relapse by providing immediate access to immersive peer support during times of craving and could subsequently help to combat the opioid crisis to save the lives of thousands of Americans.