Abstract
Objectives
Impulsivity has been identified as an important construct in predicting the initiation and maintenance of substance use among at-risk populations. Interventions emphasizing mindfulness strategies appear particularly promising in reducing substance use and marking change in various aspects of impulsivity.
Methods
The current study used a rolling group mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) intervention for young adults in residential substance use disorder treatment. We examined change in impulsivity facets measured by the S-UPPS for youth randomly assigned to MBRP (n = 45) versus those assigned to treatment as usual plus 12 step/self-help (n = 34). We also examined how change in impulsivity mediated changes in substance use post-treatment.
Results
In general, results indicated that MBRP is effective at reducing facets of trait impulsivity in treatment-seeking individuals with SUDs. Only positive and negative urgency mediated the relation between treatment assignment and substance use.
Conclusions
MBRP is a viable and useful intervention for young adults in residential treatment for substance use disorders and can aid in marked change in facets of impulsivity. Both positive and negative urgency were significant mechanisms of change in reducing substance use following treatment. Results are discussed focused on the utility of MRBP as a clinical intervention for at-risk, marginalized, and young adults.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant Number: 1R36DA041538; PI: Davis), the Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation (PI: Davis), and the Campus Research Board (Grant Number: RB15434; PI: Roberts) for funding the current study. Manuscript preparation was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Grant Number: K99AA026317; PI: Dworkin). We want to thank our research assistants Emily Hartung and Samantha Allen for their help with data collection and data entry. We would also like to thank our community partner for their continued support.
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JD: conceptualized the study, carried out statistical analyses, interpreted results, and drafted the manuscript. NB: helped with interpretation of results and drafted the intro and discussion. ED: drafted parts of the discussion and edited the entire manuscript. TM: edited the manuscript, aided in interpretation of results, and drafted parts of the intro and discussion. GD: contributed to the literature review, citation management, and editing of the manuscript. BRC: edited manuscript and provided feedback on clinical importance.
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Davis, J.P., Barr, N., Dworkin, E.R. et al. Effect of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention on Impulsivity Trajectories Among Young Adults in Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Mindfulness 10, 1997–2009 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01164-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01164-0