Vipssana Meditation Helps Substance Abusers

A new study at the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, explored whether Vipassana meditation (VM), a Buddhist mindfulness-based practice, can provide an alternative for individuals who find traditional addiction treatments incompatible or unattractive. The investigators evaluated the effectiveness of a VM course on substance use and psychosocial outcomes in an incarcerated population.

Results indicated that after release from jail, participants in the VM course, as compared with those in a treatment-as-usual control condition, showed significant reductions in alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine use. They also showed decreases in alcohol-related problems and psychiatric symptoms, as well as increases in positive psychosocial outcomes.

Citation: Bowen S, Witkiewitz K, Dillworth TM, Chawla N, Simpson TL, Ostafin BD, Larimer ME, Blume AW, Parks GA, Marlatt GA. Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Psychology of Addictive Behavior. 2006 Sep;20 (3): Pages 343-7. swbowen@u.washington.edu