Relative efficacy of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, standard relapse prevention, and treatment as usual for substance use disorders: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: Relapse is highly prevalent following substance abuse treatments, highlighting the need for improved aftercare interventions. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP), a group-based psychosocial aftercare, integrates evidence-based practices from mindfulness-based interventions and cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention (RP) approaches.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of MBRP in reducing relapse compared with RP and treatment as usual (TAU [12-step programming and psychoeducation]) during a 12-month follow-up period.

The mindfulness-based relapse prevention adherence and competence scale: development, interrater reliability, and validity.

The present study describes the development of the Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Adherence and Competence Scale (MBRP-AC), a measure of treatment integrity for mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP). MBRP is a newly developed treatment integrating core aspects of relapse prevention with mindfulness practices. The MBRP-AC was developed in the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of MBRP efficacy and consists of two sections: Adherence (adherence to individual components of MBRP and discussion of key concepts) and Competence (ratings of therapist style/approach and performance).

Language-based measures of mindfulness: initial validity and clinical utility.

This study examined relationships among language use, mindfulness, and substance-use treatment outcomes in the context of an efficacy trial of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) for adults with alcohol and other drug use (AOD) disorders. An expert panel generated two categories of mindfulness language (ML) describing the mindfulness state and the more encompassing "mindfulness journey," which included words describing challenges of developing a mindfulness practice. MBRP participants (n = 48) completed baseline sociodemographic and AOD measures, and participated in the 8-week MBRP program.

Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance use disorders: a pilot efficacy trial.

The current study is the first randomized-controlled trial evaluating the feasibility and initial efficacy of an 8-week outpatient Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) program as compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Participants were 168 adults with substance use disorders who had recently completed intensive inpatient or outpatient treatment. Assessments were administered pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 2 and 4 months post-intervention.

Mindfulness meditation for substance use disorders: a systematic review.

Relapse is common in substance use disorders (SUDs), even among treated individuals. The goal of this article was to systematically review the existing evidence on mindfulness meditation-based interventions (MM) for SUDs. The comprehensive search for and review of literature found over 2000 abstracts and resulted in 25 eligible manuscripts (22 published, 3 unpublished: 8 randomized controlled trials, 7 controlled nonrandomized, 6 noncontrolled prospective, and 2 qualitative studies, and 1 case report).

Mindfulness meditation research: issues of participant screening, safety procedures, and researcher training.

Increasing interest in mindfulness meditation (MM) warrants discussion of research safety. Side effects of meditation with possible adverse reactions are reported in the literature. Yet participant screening procedures, research safety guidelines, and standards for researcher training have not been developed and disseminated in the MM field of study.

Perceived approval of friends and parents as mediators of the relationship between self-determination and drinking.

Objective: Within the context of self-determination theory, individuals vary in the extent to which they are oriented toward autonomy and control. Previous research on the relationship between motivational orientations and drinking behavior among college students has suggested that students who are more autonomously oriented consume less alcohol whereas those who are more control oriented consume more alcohol. This research evaluated the extent to which these relationships are mediated by the perceived approval of friends and parents, both of which are important sources of potential influence on the behavior of college students.

The relative impact of injunctive norms on college student drinking: the role of reference group.

This research evaluated the importance of reference groups in the relationships between injunctive norms and alcohol consumption for college student drinkers. First-year students (N = 811; 58% women) completed online assessments of their drinking behavior, as well as their perceptions of the approval (injunctive norms) and prevalence (descriptive norms) of drinking by others. Injunctive norms were evaluated with respect to typical students, typical same-sex students, friends, and parents.

Posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use, and physical health concerns.

PTSD is a risk factor for alcohol problems and both in turn have been independently associated with increased health problems. However, it is unclear whether alcohol use moderates the relationship between PTSD and health. Participants were battered women (N = 336) recruited from local domestic violence shelters and non-shelter victim-assistance agencies.

Experiential avoidance as a functional dimensional approach to psychopathology: an empirical review.

The construct of experiential avoidance has become more frequently used by clinical researchers. Experiential avoidance involves the unwillingness to remain in contact with private experiences such as painful thoughts and emotions and is often proposed to be critical to the development and maintenance of psychopathology. This review summarizes the empirical studies on experiential avoidance as a factor in the etiology of maladaptive behavior and its relationship to specific diagnostic categories.

Attitudes and perceived approval of drinking as mediators of the relationship between the importance of religion and alcohol use.

Objective: Previous research has consistently demonstrated that religiosity and personal importance of religion are associated with lower levels of alcohol use among both adolescents and college students. Although a number of different mechanisms have been proposed to account for this, few studies have empirically examined potential mediators of this relationship. Given the extensive literature on the impact of social norms on the drinking behavior of college students, the present study evaluates the role of perceived drinking norms as a mediator of the relationship between the importance of religion and alcohol use.

Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population.

Despite the availability of various substance abuse treatments, alcohol and drug misuse and related negative consequences remain prevalent. Vipassana meditation (VM), a Buddhist mindfulness-based practice, provides an alternative for individuals who do not wish to attend or have not succeeded with traditional addiction treatments. In this study, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of a VM course on substance use and psychosocial outcomes in an incarcerated population.

Risk factors for acute stress disorder in children with burns.

The purpose of this study was to (1) estimate the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) in a sample of burned children, and (2) determine risk factors for ASD in these children. Seventy-two children were assessed for acute stress disorder approximately 10 days after being hospitalized for a burn. Variables hypothesized to predict ASD symptoms (i.

Pathways to PTSD, part I: Children with burns.

Objective: The goal of this study was to develop a model of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of acutely burned children.

Method: Seventy-two children between the ages of 7 and 17 who were admitted to the hospital for an acute burn were eligible for study. Members of families who consented completed the Child PTSD Reaction Index, the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and other self-report measures of psychopathology and environmental stress both during the hospitalization and 3 months following the burn.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of children with acute burns.

Objective: To develop a model of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in parents of children with burns.

Methods: Immediately following the burn and 3 months later, parents reported on their children's and their own psychological functioning and traumatic stress responses.

Results: Approximately 47% of the parents reported experiencing significant posttraumatic stress symptoms 3 months after the burn.

Child Stress Disorders Checklist: a measure of ASD and PTSD in children.

Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of the Child Stress Disorders Checklist (CSDC), a 36-item observer-report instrument that measures acute stress and posttraumatic symptoms in children.

Method: The CSDC was administered to parents of 43 children with acute burns and 41 children who had experienced a traffic crash. This instrument was also administered to the burned children's primary nurse to estimate interrater reliability.

Self-destructive behavior in patients with dissociative disorders.

Highrates of self-injury have been reported in patients with dissociative disorders, yet no prior study has directly compared these patients with other psychiatric patients. The present study assesses self-destructive behavior in a group of inpatients who have dissociative disorders compared to those who report few dissociative symptoms. These patients more frequently engage in self-destructive behaviors, use more methods of self-injury, and begin to injure themselves at an earlier age then patients who do not dissociate.