A mindfulness-based intervention teaching interoceptive awareness skills, added to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), did not reduce substance use more than MOUD alone in a stable treatment population. However, participants who received the mindfulness training showed significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, interoceptive awareness, pain severity, pain-related activity interference, and physical symptom frequency. The study involved 303 adults stabilized on MOUD from six community clinics in the Northwestern United States, randomly assigned to either the mindfulness intervention plus MOUD or MOUD only. Findings suggest that interoceptive training can improve multiple health outcomes critical for supporting MOUD treatment, even when substance use levels are already low.
Integrating mindfulness-based interoceptive training with medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) led to significant health improvements. In a study involving 303 participants across six clinics, those receiving Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT) alongside MOUD reported enhanced interoceptive awareness, reduced PTSD symptoms, and lower pain severity compared to those on MOUD alone. Although overall substance use levels remained similar between groups, MABT showed promise in addressing mental health and physical symptom challenges, highlighting its potential as an adjunct intervention in treating opioid use disorder.