Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review
Aleksandra Zgierska, David Rabago, Neharika Chawla, Kenneth Kushner, Robert E. Koehler, Alan Marlatt
Substance Abuse October 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1080/08897070903250019 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Qualitative Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Individuals with substance use disorders |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation-based interventions |
| Topics | Meditation Addiction |
| Keywords | Psychological intervention Substance use Randomized controlled trial Mindfulness meditation Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Clinical trial Medline |
| Citations | 349 |
| Key findings | Preliminary evidence suggests mindfulness meditation may be efficacious and safe for substance use disorders, but conclusive data are lacking due to significant methodological limitations. |
Abstract
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search for and review of literature found over 2000 abstracts and resulted in 25 eligible manuscripts (22 published, 3 unpublished: 8 randomized controlled trials, 7 controlled nonrandomized, 6 noncontrolled prospective, and 2 qualitative studies, and 1 case report). When appropriate, methodological quality, absolute risk reduction, number needed to treat, and effect size were assessed. Overall, although preliminary evidence suggests MM efficacy and safety, conclusive data for MM as a treatment of SUDs are lacking. Significant methodological limitations exist in most studies. Further, it is unclear which persons with SUDs might benefit most from MM. Future trials must be of sufficient sample size to answer a specific clinical question and should target both assessment of effect size and mechanisms of action.