Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Methadone Maintenance: A Feasibility Trial

As rates of opiate misuse rise in the United States, there areso do significant associated health, and financial consequences to afflicted individuals, their families, and society at large. Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) is one evidence-based approach to treating individuals with opiate addiction, yet supplemental psychosocial treatment to support this approach is lacking. Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) has shown to be efficacious in various substance use populations, but has yet to be assessed with MMT clients. The current study was designed to inform protocol adaptation for to MMT clients, and to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a MBRP for this population. The sample consisted of adults (N=15) recruited from a methadone clinic to participate in a 6-week MBRP course. Indices of feasibility, including recruitment, retention, data from focus groups and course satisfaction surveys, supported feasibility of the intervention. Outcome measures were self-report, and included self-compassion, depression, craving, PTSD symptoms, and experiential avoidance, and were assessed at baseline, postcourse, and 1-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Mean scores on all primary outcomes changed in the expected direction at both postcourse and 1-month follow-up assessment, although only depression and experiential avoidance reached significance. Results from this initial pilot support feasibility and acceptability, and provide preliminary data on outcomes for future trials of mindfulness-based approaches within the MMT community.