The effects of a mindfulness based intervention on impulsivity, symptoms of depression, anxiety, experiences and quality of life of persons suffering from substance use disorders and traumatic brain injury.

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown that of the 1.4 million Americans who experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, many have significant cognitive disabilities as a result of their injuries and up to half suffer from substance use disorders (SUDs). This often leads to significant issues such as increased rates of mental health problems and delay or lack of return to full employment. Aims: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness and impact of an adapted MBSR program on different psychosocial dimensions of persons suffering from a dual diagnosis of SUDs and TBI. Method: Anxiety, depression, quality of life, impulsivity and participants’ and staff persons’ experiences were explored using a mixed methods design to gain a comprehensive picture of the impact of the adapted eight week mindfulness intervention on the participants of the study. The qualitative evaluation focused on the impact that mindfulness meditation practice had on clients’ and staff persons experiences using an adapted grounded theory approach. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to examine outcomes of quantitative measures Results: The general health perceptions scale of the SF-36 declined over the course of the study in a statistically significant manner. Changes in other measures were mostly in the predicted direction but were not statistically significant. The qualitative interviews revealed numerous perceived benefits reported by participants gleaned from their involvement in the intervention. These included subjective reports of positive effects of the intervention on mood, impulsivity, anxiety and personal relationships. Conclusions: The adapted mindfulness based intervention applied in this study is an inexpensive and safe method that appeared to fit the needs of the participants in this study well according to qualitative interviews. However, the exploratory nature of this study and the paucity of statistically significant results, indicates that future studies with a larger sample size are needed in this field.