A mindfulness-based intervention for Substance Use Disorder in a Brazilian vulnerable population: a feasibility mixed method study.
Frontiers in public health January 1, 2024 Mayra Pires Alves Machado, Emérita Sátiro Opaleye, Andre Bedendo et al. 3 citations
Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) as an add-on to outpatient treatment for substance use disorder is feasible in a socially vulnerable Brazilian population, though it faces challenges. A mixed-methods study in eight public Psychosocial Care Centers in São Paulo with 140 participants, 24 healthcare professionals, and 7 managers ran 17 MBRP groups. Qualitative data from interviews and field notes, combined with quantitative pre-post measures of consumption, depression, anxiety, craving, readiness to change, and dependence severity, showed positive acceptance and mental health benefits despite high dropout due to social factors and initial cultural misperceptions of meditation. Adapting the protocol format is needed for effective integration into public healthcare.