Mindfulness and modification therapy for behavioral dysregulation: results from a pilot study targeting alcohol use and aggression in women.
Peggilee Wupperman, G Alan Marlatt, Amy Cunningham, Sarah Bowen, Matthias Berking, Nicole Mulvihill-Rivera, Caroline Easton
Journal of Clinical Psychology September 19, 2011 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20830 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Open-treatment pilot trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Women court-referred for alcohol abuse/dependence and aggression |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Alcoholism Treatment outcome Pilot projects Aggression Emotions Awareness Attention Domestic violence Middle aged Female Young adult Cognitive behavioral therapy |
| Key findings | In an uncontrolled pilot trial of 14 court-referred women, Mindfulness & Modification Therapy was associated with significant pre-post decreases in alcohol use, drug use, and aggression, and 93% of participants were retained. The authors conclude that MMT is a feasible and acceptable treatment that may reduce dysregulated behaviors and potentially increase retention. |
Abstract
Objectives: Increasing evidence suggests that deficits in mindfulness (awareness, attentiveness, and acceptance of the present moment) play a role in a range of disorders involving behavioral dysregulation. This paper adds to that literature by describing a transdiagnostic psychotherapy (Mindfulness & Modification Therapy; MMT) developed to target behavioral dysregulation.
Design: An open-treatment pilot-trial investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and pre-post effects of MMT targeting women (N = 14) court-referred for alcohol abuse/dependence and aggression.
Results: Pre-post comparisons revealed significant decreases in alcohol use, drug use, and aggression. In addition, the retention rate was 93%.
Conclusion: Preliminary evidence suggests that MMT is a feasible and acceptable treatment that decreases dysregulated behaviors such as substance use and aggression, while also potentially increasing retention.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Development of a mindfulness-based treatment for smoking cessation and the modification of alcohol use: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial and pilot study findings. Contemporary Clinical Trials November 14, 2020
- Mobile Mindfulness Intervention on an Acute Psychiatric Unit: Feasibility and Acceptability Study. JMIR Mental Health August 21, 2017
- Mindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adulthood: Current Empirical Support, Treatment Overview, and Future Directions. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice May 1, 2015
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2002
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
- Depression, craving, and substance use following a randomized trial of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 1, 2010
and 5 more in the library