Mindfulness Meditation for Opioid Addiction in an Outpatient Psychiatric Setting

Abstract

Opioid dependence and addiction continues to be an evolving problem with limited known effective treatment modalities. There is a need for research into new treatments and strategies to combat this rampant problem. Mindfulness meditation has been observed in many studies to be a beneficial adjunct therapy in addition to usual addiction treatment that has resulted in a reduction of craving, improved self-control, and improved rates of substance abstinence. The purpose of this project was to increase knowledge of mental health prescribers and therapists on the practice and benefits of mindfulness meditation in the setting of opioid addiction treatment in an outpatient behavioral health clinic. An additional aim was to observe a greater utilization of mindfulness meditation in this clinic for opioid abuse treatment. An educational workshop was developed for the purpose of the project and three surveys were created to gather data before, directly after, and two weeks after the intervention. Five psychiatric prescribers and seven behavioral health therapists employed at Marana Health Center were recruited and assessed via survey for baseline perceptions and current knowledge on the benefits and utility of mindfulness meditation. The participants attended the educational workshop and were surveyed again to measure the impact of the intervention on their knowledge and perceptions on mindfulness meditation. A two-week follow-up survey was delivered and completed by nine out of the 12 participants to assess the impact of the intervention. The results from the surveys one and two were analyzed and showed a significant increase of baseline knowledge and perception on mindfulness meditation for the entire group (p = 0.0006; p = 0.041). The final survey revealed that since the educational workshop there was no significant increase to the number of clients undergoing opioid addiction treatment that were recommended mindfulness meditation as an adjunct treatment. However, mindfulness recommendations to clients in general were observed across the participant group (mean: 1-5 clients). Overall, the participants were receptive to learning about mindfulness meditation and showed increased knowledge after attending an educational workshop, subsequently agreeing that they saw its potential as an effective adjunctive treatment for opioid addiction.