Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention on Relapse Rate in Opioid Dependents: A Randomize Control Trial

Abstract

Aim and Background: The literature review shows that the rate of relapse is high in patients with substance use disorders, even after participating in related pharmacological treatments. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) on relapse rate in opioid dependents. Methods and Materials: This randomized controlled clinical trial was per­formed in 2015 in Kashan, Iran. The population was opioid dependent patients referred to maintenance treatment centers in Kashan. Seventy patients were selected by convenient sampling and were randomly assigned in two groups (MBRP and control). The case group was trained MBRP in 8 sessions and control group received no intervention. Morphine was tested in both groups in pre-test and post-test and follow-up (one month after the post-test) to measure relapse rate. Data were analyzed using SPSS and t-tests for comparing the mean age between the two groups and chi-square test to compare the other demographic variables such as employment status, education level, history of abuse and marital status as well as relapse rate of the two groups. Findings: Significant differences were observed between intervention and control groups for relapse rate (P < 0.050). Conclusions: Mindfulness-based relapse prevention program can be an effective intervention on substance abuse and relapse prevention.

Keywords

• mindfulness
• relapse
• opioid dependency