Work

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Alcohol Dependence: Therapeutic Mechanisms and Intervention Acceptability

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: Mindfulness-based interventions may decrease addictive behaviors while promoting non-reactivity to stressors. This study employed qualitative methods to enhance understanding of mindfulness-related treatment effects. Study participants were eighteen alcohol dependent adults residing in a therapeutic community who had participated in a Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) intervention. Interviews were conducted to elicit participant narratives. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using a grounded theory approach and the method of constant comparison. Narrative accounts suggested that MORE enhanced self-awareness while helping clients to cope more effectively with emotional distress and addictive impulses. MORE appears to be acceptable to participants and feasible to implement within a residential treatment setting. Mindfulness training may assist marginalized persons recover from addiction.

Source: Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions

DOI: 10.1080/1533256x.2012.702638

Authors: Eric L. Garland, Noah R. Schwarz, Amber Kelly, Ahmed Whitt, Matthew O. Howard

Institutions: Florida State University, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Smith College, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health