Scholars Project Title: Engaging Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Use of Complementary and Integrative Healthcare (CIH) as an Alternative to Opioids

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies (e.g., meditation, yoga, acupuncture, others) offer a non-pharmacological approach for alleviating chronic musculoskeletal pain, but relatively few patients utilize this type of care. Dr. Evans will develop a CIH engagement intervention and experimentally pilot test it with a randomized controlled trial design.  Such an intervention would strengthen the capabilities of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain to achieve health without the misuse of opioids, and thereby help to curtail the opioid epidemic.

Selected Publications:

• Evans, E., Grella, C., Upchurch, D. 2017. Gender differences in the effects of childhood adversity on risk for alcohol use disorders, drug use disorders, and poly-substance use disorders. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. E-pub ahead of print.
• Evans, E., Grella, C., Washington, D., & Upchurch, D. 2017. Gender and race/ethnic differences in the persistence of alcohol, drug, and poly-substance use disorders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 174: 128-136. 
• Evans, E., Li, L., Min, J., Huang, D., Urada, D., Lei, L., Hser, Y.I., & Nosyk, B. 2015. Mortality among individuals accessing pharmacological treatment for opioid dependence in California, 2006 – 2010. Addiction, 110: 996–1005. PMCID: 4452110.
• Evans, E., Li., L., Pierce, J., & Hser, Y.I. 2013. Explaining long-term outcomes among drug dependent mothers treated in women-only versus mixed-gender programs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 45(3): 293-301. PMCID: 3725737.
• Evans, E., Li, L., & Hser, Y.-I. 2009. Client and program factors associated with dropout from court mandated drug treatment.  Evaluation and Program Planning, 32 (3): 204-212.  PMCID: 2703685.