Dispositional mindfulness and prescription opioid misuse among chronic pain patients: Craving and attention to positive information as mediating mechanisms.
Sarah E. Priddy, Adam W. Hanley, Michael R. Riquino, Keith A Platt, Anne Baker, Eric L Garland
Drug and Alcohol Dependence July 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.040 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 300 |
| Population | Civilian and military opioid-treated chronic pain patients in the Southeastern and Intermountain West regions of the U.S. |
| Measures | Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale (APNIS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Natural reward Opioid craving Opioid misuse |
| Key findings | Across three samples of opioid-treated chronic pain patients, dispositional mindfulness was inversely associated with opioid misuse (N = 300, r = -0.36). The authors report that reduced opioid craving and increased attention to positive information mediated this relationship, suggesting mindfulness may buffer misuse risk by attenuating craving and enhancing attention to natural rewards. |
Abstract
Opioid-treated chronic pain patients may be at risk for prescription opioid misuse due to heightened opioid craving coupled with deficits in attention to naturally rewarding, positive stimuli. Conversely, dispositional mindfulness, which is associated with reduced craving and increased responsiveness to natural rewards, may serve as a protective factor and buffer opioid misuse risk. The current investigation aimed to examine the association between mindfulness and opioid misuse, and to test opioid craving and attention to positive information as mediators of this relationship. This cross-sectional analysis examined data obtained from a sample of civilian opioid-treated chronic pain patients in the Southeastern U.S. (Sample 1: N = 115), as well as civilian (Sample 2: N = 141) and military samples in the Intermountain West (Sample 3: N = 44). Pearson correlations and path analyses were employed to test relations among participant self-reports on the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), two measures of opioid craving, and the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale (APNIS). Across all three samples, dispositional mindfulness was significantly inversely associated with opioid misuse (N = 300, r = -0.36, p < .001). Reduced opioid craving and increased attention to positive information mediated the association between dispositional mindfulness and opioid misuse. Dispositional mindfulness may buffer opioid misuse risk by attenuating opioid craving and enhancing attention to naturally rewarding stimuli.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Enhanced Resting-State Functional Connectivity With Decreased Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations of the Salience Network in Mindfulness Novices Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 3, 2022
- Mindfulness and Problematic Digital Media Use in Children and Adolescents Sucht : Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis August 1, 2026
- To be aware, or to accept, that is the question: Differential roles of awareness of automaticity and pain acceptance in opioid misuse. Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 1, 2023
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement reduces opioid craving, pain, and negative affect among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy: An analysis of within- and between-person state effects. Behaviour Research and Therapy February 28, 2022
Cites 13
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training increases momentary positive emotions and reward experience in adults vulnerable to depression: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology July 18, 2011
- Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment 2016
- Restructuring reward processing with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: novel therapeutic mechanisms to remediate hedonic dysregulation in addiction, stress, and pain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences April 1, 2016
- Mindfulness training alters emotional memory recall compared to active controls: support for an emotional information processing model of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 8 more in the library