Individual mindfulness-based psychotherapy for cannabis or cocaine dependence: a pilot feasibility trial

Mindfulness-based approaches may be effective treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs), but they have only been investigated for SUDs in the group setting.

A novel 10-week individual mindfulness-based psychotherapy was provided weekly to participants. Tolerability and therapeutic feasibility were assessed by retention rates, incidence of adverse events or clinical worsening, and abstinence rates at the end of the protocol.

Twenty-five patients were enrolled overall, and 19 completed (74% overall retention rate). Of the 14 cannabis dependent patients enrolled in the study, 11 completed (79%), and 8 achieved abstinence (57% by intent-to-treat analysis) at 10 weeks. Of the 11 cocaine dependent patients, 8 completed (73%), and 6 achieved abstinence (55% by ITT) at 10 weeks. Abstinence rates were substantially greater than those of historical comparison groups.

These findings indicate that mindfulness training can be tolerably and feasibly extended to the individual psychotherapy setting for the treatment of cocaine or cannabis dependence.