Adding a telehealth mindfulness-based program called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) to standard methadone treatment reduced the risk of returning to drug use by 42% and the risk of dropping out of methadone treatment by 59% over 16 weeks among people with opioid use disorder and chronic pain. Participants receiving MORE also had fewer days of drug use, better methadone adherence, and greater reductions in pain and depression than those receiving standard care alone. Anxiety did not differ significantly between groups. The findings suggest that telehealth MORE is a feasible and effective supplement to methadone treatment.
Among adults at high risk of suicide who took part in a mindfulness-based therapy, 18% experienced distress, dysregulation, or agitation during practice, most often anxiety or hallucinations. Those who had such difficulties showed some diagnostic differences at baseline but were not at significantly greater risk of a suicidal event or psychiatric hospitalization over a 12-month follow-up. No suicide attempts occurred among the 9 participants who experienced mindfulness difficulty, compared to 5 attempts among those who did not. The findings suggest that although difficulties during mindfulness are common, they do not increase the risk of serious clinical outcomes in this high-risk population.