A Vipassana meditation course given in jail led to significant reductions in alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine use after release, compared to standard treatment. Participants also experienced fewer alcohol-related problems and psychiatric symptoms, along with improvements in positive psychosocial outcomes. The findings suggest mindfulness-based practices offer a viable alternative for individuals who have not succeeded with or do not wish to attend traditional addiction treatments.
Relapse is common in substance use disorders even after treatment. This systematic review examined mindfulness meditation-based interventions for substance use disorders, identifying 25 eligible manuscripts from over 2000 abstracts. The studies included 8 randomized controlled trials, 7 controlled nonrandomized trials, 6 noncontrolled prospective studies, 2 qualitative studies, and 1 case report. Overall, preliminary evidence suggests mindfulness meditation may be efficacious and safe, but conclusive data for its use as a treatment are lacking. Most studies had significant methodological limitations, and it remains unclear which individuals with substance use disorders might benefit most. Future trials need larger sample sizes and should assess both effect size and mechanisms of action.