Abstract
Objectives: This systematic review aimed to understand the current state of the art about the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) on individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), taking into account not only SUD variables (e.g., cravings, frequency of use) but also other relevant clinical variables (e.g., anxiety and depressive symptoms, quality of life). Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies that investigate MBRP interventions on individuals with SUD. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were synthesized and assessed using systematic review methods. Results: Thirteen studies were included in the present review. The methodological quality of the included studies was moderately strong. Nine studies (69.2%) used the traditional 16 h MBRP program. Six studies (46.1%) chose to use a co-intervention treatment ranging from the treatment as usual (TAU) to cognitive behavioral therapy. All but one study indicated that their interventions produced positive effects on at least one addiction outcome measure. None of the interventions were evaluated across different settings or populations. Conclusions: Despite some heterogeneity regarding the type of MBRP program used, results support the effectiveness of these interventions in the SUD population, especially in reducing cravings, decreasing the frequency of use, and improving depressive symptoms.
Highlights
Substance use disorders (SUD) affect the lives of more than 35 million people worldwide according to 2019 data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [1]
Through the research performed on the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, Database of Promoting Health Effectiveness Reviews (DoPHER), Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Coordinating Center (EPPI-Center), and PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, no systematic literature review was found after the year 2017
From the 30 studies selected for the full text analysis, 17 were excluded for not meeting all the inclusion criteria
Summary
Substance use disorders (SUD) affect the lives of more than 35 million people worldwide according to 2019 data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [1]. A chronic disease, substance addiction is associated with significant costs for the individual but for society at large. It often starts with occasional substance use in a recreational context, followed by a progressive increase in frequency of use as the desired effects are diminished by habituation [2]. This process is mediated by genetic, developmental, and psychosocial factors that impact an individual’s relative vulnerability to the development of an addiction [3].
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