Minimizing opioid cravings with mindfulness

A mindfulness-based approach could aid patients with opioid use disorder.

In a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers examined the outcomes of 160 adult patients with chronic pain who received opioids for about 10 years — 98 of whom had opioid use disorder. Compared with the patients without opioid use disorder, those with the condition reported weaker responses to positive emotional stimuli and greater opioid cravings. The researchers then randomly assigned 62 of the participants at risk of opioid misuse to undergo either a mindfulness-based approach or supportive group therapy.

After a follow-up of eight weeks, the researchers found that the patients who underwent the mindfulness-based approach experienced stronger brain responses to positive emotional stimuli, improved moods, heightened attention to positive information and reduced opioid cravings.

The findings revealed that mindfulness-based approaches could offer patients a strategy to improve their brain responses and diminish their opioid cravings.

Read more: JAMA Psychiatry

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