Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention for Stimulant Users

Substance abuse is a complex condition that pervades every part of a user’s life, and consequently is one of the most prevalent sources of morbidity. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP), a meditation-based treatment, has been shown to be effective in decreasing potential relapse risk in this population. By increasing awareness of cognitive and emotional patterns and teaching alternative reactions to discomfort, these techniques can lessen the conditioned linkage between craving and negative affective mood states. In a randomized control trial designed to establish the feasibility of employing MBRP as augmentation to traditional relapse prevention, we examined the effects of this therapy (N=21) in a population of stimulant dependent adults as compared with a health psychoeducation group (N=18). Potential neural and cognitive mechanisms of action for Mindfulness seem to effectively reduce physiological changes, and thus, by design, also decrease substance relapse risk and stress reactivity. By examining the effects of MBRP techniques on individuals withdrawing from addiction, we expect that the measured indices of stress-reactivity from pre- and post- session should indicate a reduction in these response system levels immediately after group as well as over time, while also investigating if mindfulness produces a regulation of cortisol peaks during an experimental stressor. Preliminary investigation trends indeed indicate that MBRP controlled cortisol response (obtained via saliva samples) during the induced-stress laboratory paradigm, and decreased physiological reactivity over the course of the study relative to controls. Therefore, by affecting not only psychology but also physiology, MBRP is an effective relapse treatment for stimulant users.