Relapse is common in substance use disorders even after treatment. This systematic review examined mindfulness meditation-based interventions for substance use disorders, identifying 25 eligible manuscripts from over 2000 abstracts. The studies included 8 randomized controlled trials, 7 controlled nonrandomized trials, 6 noncontrolled prospective studies, 2 qualitative studies, and 1 case report. Overall, preliminary evidence suggests mindfulness meditation may be efficacious and safe, but conclusive data for its use as a treatment are lacking. Most studies had significant methodological limitations, and it remains unclear which individuals with substance use disorders might benefit most. Future trials need larger sample sizes and should assess both effect size and mechanisms of action.
Meditation shows promise as an additional therapy to help prevent relapse in people recovering from alcohol dependence. In a 16-week study of 19 adults who had completed an intensive outpatient program, 15 completed an 8-week meditation course plus home practice and standard care. On average, participants meditated about 4.6 days per week and were abstinent on 94.5% of study days; 47% remained completely abstinent, while 47% had at least one heavy drinking day. Depression, anxiety, stress, and craving decreased, and mindfulness increased. Participants rated the course highly as a relapse prevention tool. A biomarker of inflammation, interleukin-6, also decreased. No adverse events occurred.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials and other studies found that mindfulness-based interventions (such as mindfulness meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and acceptance and commitment therapy) have a large beneficial effect on reducing pain intensity in adults with chronic low back pain. The authors caution that findings should be interpreted carefully due to high variability in study methods, small sample sizes, inclusion of studies with high risk of bias, and reliance on pre-post treatment differences without assessing long-term maintenance. More large-scale randomized trials are needed for reliable effect estimates.