Individuals being treated with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) who also received group mindfulness training experienced significantly less opioid craving compared with those receiving group recovery support, according to a report in JAMA Network Open.
Patients in both groups experienced significant decreases in anxiety and had similar levels of opioid, cocaine, or benzodiazepine use, according to the report.
“Mindfulness training appears to increase individuals’ capacities for self-regulation through enhanced attentional control, cognitive control, and emotion regulation,” wrote lead author Zev Schuman-Olivier, M.D., of the Cambridge Health Alliance, and colleagues.
The researchers recruited 196 patients with OUD who were on a stable dose of buprenorphine. Participants were randomized to receive 24 weeks of either the mindfulness intervention—known as Mindful Recovery Opioid Use Disorder Care Continuum (M-ROCC)—or the recovery support intervention. Both interventions were delivered virtually between January 21, 2021, and September 19, 2023.
M-ROCC involves three stages: a four-week orientation focused on fostering group engagement; a four-week low-dose mindfulness group focused on learning mindfulness and increasing daily formal mindfulness practice time; and a 16-week intensive recovery-focused mindful behavior change program.
The recovery support intervention included eight weeks of group-building orientation followed by 16 weeks of evidence-based treatment techniques for substance use disorders, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and 12-step program attendance.
The primary outcome was the number of two-week periods with both self-reported and biochemically confirmed abstinence from illicit opioid use during study weeks 13 to 24. Secondary outcomes included abstinence from cocaine or benzodiazepines and changes in opioid craving as measured by the Opioid Craving Scale.
There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the number of time periods with abstinence from opioids (13.4% in the M-ROCC group and 12.7% in the recovery support group) or other assessed illicit substances. However, M-ROCC patients experienced a statistically significant 67% percent decrease in opioid craving compared with44% for those in the supported recovery group. Both groups demonstrated similarly large reductions in anxiety.
“Mindfulness-based groups may be particularly useful for reducing craving among patients with OUD who are experiencing residual opioid craving during buprenorphine treatment,” Schuman-Olivier and colleagues wrote.
For related information, see the Psychiatric News article “Meditation, CBT May Ease Opioid-Treated Pain.”
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