Effects of the mindfulness program for male substance abusers in Thailand on stress, deliberate self-harm, and drug abstinence intention: A repeated-measure design.
Arunothai Singtakaew, Nujjaree Chaimongkol, Skaorat Puangladda, Yongyud Wongpiromsarn
Belitung Nursing Journal April 28, 2024 DOI: 10.33546/bnj.3178 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | One-group repeated-measure design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Thai males with a history of narcotic drug use, recruited from a rehabilitation institute in Thailand |
| Intervention | Mindfulness program |
| Duration | Eight sessions over four weeks, with follow-up at week 6 |
| Measures | Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Drug Abstinence Intention Questionnaire |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Male Stress Thailand Drug addicts Deliberate self-harm Substance abstinence |
| Key points | Deliberate self-harm and drug abstinence intention changed significantly across three time points (chi-square = 10.000 and 9.579, p < 0.01). Self-harm scores at weeks 4 and 6 were significantly lower than at baseline, and abstinence intention scores were higher at weeks 4 and 6 than at baseline. Stress scores showed no significant difference. The authors conclude the program was acceptable and effective for reducing self-harm and improving abstinence intention. |
Abstract
Background: Substance abuse is prevalent among males, and mindfulness could serve as a means of helping individuals suffering from the adverse effects of substance abuse find relief.
Objective: This study employed a one-group repeated-measure design and aimed to evaluate the effects of the mindfulness program on stress, deliberate self-harm, and drug abstinence intention among male substance abusers.
Methods: The mindfulness program was implemented for Thai males with a history of narcotic drug use. Five participants were recruited from a rehabilitation institute in Thailand using convenience sampling. The program consisted of eight sessions over four weeks. The study outcomes were measured at three time points: pre-intervention (Time 1, Week 1), post-intervention (Time 2, Week 4), and follow-up (Time 3, Week 6). Research instruments included the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Drug Abstinence Intention Questionnaire, all of which had Cronbach's alpha values above 0.80. Data analysis was carried out using the Friedman test and Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc test.
Results: The eight-session program was implemented as intended, with a retention rate of 100%. The mean scores of deliberate self-harm and drug abstinence intention were significantly different across the three time points (χ2 = 10.000 and χ2 = 9.579, p <0.01, respectively). After conducting pairwise comparisons, the mean scores of deliberate self-harm at Time 2 and Time 3 were significantly lower than those at Time 1. Additionally, the mean scores of drug abstinence intention at Time 2 and Time 3 were higher than those at Time 1. However, the mean score of stress did not have a significant difference.
Conclusion: This program was both acceptable and effective in reducing deliberate self-harm and improving drug abstinence intention. These findings suggest that nurses and healthcare teams involved in caring for individuals with substance abuse issues could utilize this intervention alongside other therapies or hospital treatments. Consequently, relapse prevention among substance abusers could be achieved.Thai Clinical Trials Registry Number: TCTR20230404001.
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- A randomised active-controlled trial to examine the effects of an online mindfulness intervention on executive control, critical thinking and key thinking dispositions in a university student sample. BMC Psychology April 5, 2018
- Motivational and mindfulness intervention for young adult female marijuana users. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment January 2012