Lisham Ashrafioun
University of Rochester, NY·Psychology
Feeling lonely, known in research as perceived social isolation, does more than hurt emotionally. It is linked to higher death rates.
- Fields
Psychology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Public Health & Epidemiology
- Topics
opioid use disorder
loneliness
perceived social isolation
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Apr 2029
What they work on
- Test whether six weekly telehealth sessions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Perceived Social Isolation (CBT-PSI) reduce loneliness more than therapist-delivered or self-guided Health Education in 300 adults with opioid use disorder.
- Compare opioid and other substance use across the three randomized groups, with assessments after treatment and at one, three and six months.
- Examine the two-way relationship between opioid use and perceived social isolation over the six-month follow-up, testing whether changes in one predict changes in the other.
- Assess effects of CBT-PSI on mental health symptoms and on the quantity and quality of participants' social interactions.
More about the research
In people with opioid use disorder (OUD), it is also tied to more opioid use and to triggers for relapse. Interventions that reduce loneliness already exist. However, no fully powered efficacy trial has tested whether treating loneliness helps people with OUD. Recovery depends partly on correcting negative thinking, managing negative emotions and feeling socially supported. That makes loneliness a promising new target for treatment.
Why it matters
Loneliness raises the risk of death and relapse for people with opioid use disorder, yet it is rarely treated directly. If a short telehealth therapy reduces loneliness and opioid use, it could be added to existing OUD treatment and prevention. Because it is delivered remotely, it could reach patients nationwide, including those far from in-person care.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Lauren Shomaker
Colorado State University-Fort Collins, CO·Psychology·Early-career
Compare four sequences of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exercise training for improving insulin resistance in 300 adolescent females at risk for type 2 diabetes with elevated depression, in a randomized controlled trial.
Kimberly Van Orden
University of Rochester, NY·Psychology·Early-career
Test whether behavioral interventions for loneliness and social isolation improve cognitive functioning in older adults, using meta-analysis of published studies and new analyses of completed trials.
Benjamin Han
University of California-San Diego, CA·Medicine & Clinical Research
Track social isolation and loneliness at baseline, 6 and 12 months in 150 adults aged 55 or older with opioid use disorder in San Diego County opioid treatment programs, using validated measures.
The school
University of Rochester: 38 labs on PI Pages, $492M a year on research, 308 research doctorates a year.
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