Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population.
Sarah Bowen, Katie Witkiewitz, Tiara M Dillworth, Neharika Chawla, Tracy L. Simpson, Brian D. Ostafin, Mary E. Larimer, Arthur W. Blume, George A. Parks, G. Alan Marlatt
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors August 28, 2006 DOI: 10.1037/0893-164x.20.3.343 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Incarcerated population |
| Topics | Addiction Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychosocial Clinical psychology Substance abuse Population Mindfulness meditation Alcohol abuse |
| Citations | 495 |
| Post-publication review | 1 comment on PubPeer (opens in new tab) · last active September 2016 |
| Key findings | Vipassana meditation course participants showed significant reductions in alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine use, decreases in alcohol-related problems and psychiatric symptoms, and increases in positive psychosocial outcomes compared to a treatment-as-usual control condition. |
Abstract
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. Results indicate that after release from jail, participants in the VM course, as compared with those in a treatment-as-usual control condition, showed significant reductions in alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine use. VM participants showed decreases in alcohol-related problems and psychiatric symptoms as well as increases in positive psychosocial outcomes. The utility of mindfulness-based treatments for substance use is discussed.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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State of the evidence: Addiction Supports
After release from jail, Vipassana meditation course participants showed significant reductions in alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine use and alcohol-related problems compared with treatment-as-usual controls.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Debiasing the Mind Through Meditation | 2013 | Correlational and experimental |
Citations in the library
Cited by 121
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- A Model of Mindful Parenting: Implications for Parent–Child Relationships and Prevention Research Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review May 2, 2009
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
- Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review Substance Abuse October 1, 2009
and 116 more in the library
Cites 4
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse Psychotherapy Research March 1, 2003
- How does cognitive therapy prevent depressive relapse and why should attentional control (mindfulness) training help? Behaviour Research and Therapy 1995
- An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry April 1, 1982