Familial Supports in the Pursuit of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery

Abstract

Opioids and their usage have caused widespread devastation across our nation. Fentanyl has taken the epidemic from bad to worse as it has become a major player in the role of opioid overdoses. As we look at how the United States can encourage enrollment and increase the longevity of enrollment in treatment programs for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), there’s one potential piece that remains overlooked in literature: what assistance family members can provide. Research on the role of family members in the process of obtaining and remaining in treatment is extremely limited. Minimal research has been conducted on a program called Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). While further research is certainly necessary for widespread implementation, CRAFT provides promising results for successful treatment in the realm of OUD.