Importance: While mindfulness as a treatment for addiction has been objectively studied in a variety of settings, relatively little focus has been given to the subjective experience of program participants. Objective: To elicit best practices for mindfulness work in addiction recovery. Design and Setting: Participant observation and semi-structured interviews with participants in a mindfulness course set within a residential addiction recovery program. Results: Many participants found the practice to be a useful skill for relaxation and impulse control. Most planned to continue with mindfulness practice upon completion of the course. Of particular emphasis was the importance of genuine relationships, trust, and mutual respect between participants and instructors. Some participants reporting feelings of patronization, which led to decreased investment in the coursework. Conclusion: Mindfulness is a promising treatment for addiction. Several benefits and barriers were identified. This study was limited by a small sample size; Generalizability may be limited due to particularly severe socioeconomic stressors of the study population.
Perry, Matthew B.,
"Perceptions of Mindfulness: A Qualitative Analysis of Group Work in Addiction Recovery"
(2019).
Biology and Medicine Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/h26k-rv69
