Individually delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in concomitant problematic substance use and emotional symptoms: A process-based case study.
Tristan Hamonniere, Joël Billieux
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2023 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2827 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A woman with concomitant problematic substance use and emotional symptoms |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | 8 weeks of treatment; assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Process-based conceptualization Psychological process Rumination Substance use Transdiagnostic |
| Key findings | The authors propose that a process-based conceptualization identified repetitive negative thinking and poor emotion regulation as processes maintaining substance use and emotional symptoms. After eight weeks of individually delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, these processes, the mindfulness trait, substance use, and emotional symptoms improved, with gains maintained at three-month follow-up. The authors argue that process-based approaches are a valuable alternative for complex, comorbid cases. |
Abstract
The process-based approach assumes that transdiagnostic psychological processes are involved in the onset and maintenance of mental disorders. Case conceptualization is used to identify such psychological processes and to individualize the intervention accordingly. This approach is fundamentally different from syndrome-based approaches in which standardized treatments are administered for psychiatric diagnoses or symptoms. In the current case, we proposed a process-based conceptualization and treatment for a woman with concomitant problematic substance use and emotional symptoms. Our idiosyncratic process-based conceptualization showed that for this person, substance abuse consisted in a maladaptive coping strategy to deal with repetitive negative thinking and poor emotion regulation skills, for which we decided to use a mindfulness-based intervention. Treatment comprised 8 weeks of individually delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions. A comprehensive assessment of psychiatric symptoms and psychological processes was conducted at baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. The post-treatment assessment revealed that psychological processes targeted by the intervention were improved, together with the mindfulness trait. At the symptom-based level, we observed a significant reduction in substance abuse and emotional symptoms. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up. From a process-based perspective, this result implies that the intervention successfully targeted the psychological processes underlying the presenting symptoms. Adopting a process-based approach rather than symptom- or syndrome-based approaches is a valuable alternative in the conceptualization and treatment of complex cases presenting with multiple comorbidities.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Advanced meditator | 2001 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: A Feasibility Pilot Study Adult alcohol-dependent graduates of an intensive outpatient program | 2008 | Prospective case series | n = 19 |
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| Loving‐kindness meditation to enhance recovery from negative symptoms of schizophrenia Individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with persistent negative... | 2009 | Case study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Problem Gambling A female problem gambler | 2011 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Inside the Mindful Mind Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2013
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Substance and Behavioral Addictions: A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychiatry March 29, 2018
- How do mindfulness-based programmes improve anxiety, depression and psychological distress? A systematic review Current Psychology April 1, 2023
- The Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Affective Symptoms: A Meta-analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) Clinical Psychology Review November 11, 2019
- A mind full of self: Self‐referential processing as a mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of mindfulness training on internalizing disorders Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2018
and 3 more in the library