Effectiveness of tDCS and mindfulness training on mental health in people with SUD

Abstract

Background: Addiction is a chronic disease. Failure of mental health can cause difficulties in abstinence. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)and mindfulness are considerd effective in improving mental health in people with SUD.The efficacy of either of these methods with respect to their special characteristics had been shown separately but is the combination of these two methodes effective, too? Previous studies suggested that combination of Mindfulness training and tDCS is effective in non clinical population, but it is still unclear whether the method can be effective in clinical populatuin or not. Aims: The aim was evaluating effect of combination of mindfulness and tDCS in people with substance abuse disorder. Method: Current study is a Quasi-experimental research whithout control group and with pre & post evaluation. Ten people with SUD were chosen through convenience sampling. They received 5 sessions of mindfulness training based on therapeutic protocol of Bowen, Chawla & Marlatt(2011) combined with tDCS. Before and after intervention, mental health was assessed via Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1993). Results: combination of mindfulness training and brain stimulation resulted in significant decrease in scores of BSI including obsessive-compulsive (P= 0/02), Hostility (P= 0/04) & psychoticism (P= 0/007). Conclusions: the combination of tDCS and Mindfulness can improve mental health in people with SUD.

Keywords

• mindfulness
• tdcs
• addiction
• mental health