Using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to reduce anxiety symptoms among individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder

Purpose This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a brief six-session version of the mindfulness-based cognitive intervention derived from the positive psychology approach to decrease the symptoms of anxiety among individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders (SUDs). Design/methodology/approach An experimental research design with pre- and post-tests and a one-month follow-up were used. The study sample comprised 34 participants diagnosed with SUD who also endorsed anxiety symptoms on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The participants experienced six 90-min sessions of training in mindfulness-based cognitive intervention. At the end of the training, the participants were again evaluated using the GAD-7 immediately after the intervention and one month after. Findings Analysis of repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data. The results of this study suggested that MBCIs demonstrated significant reductions in the anxiety symptoms of individuals diagnosed with SUD. Originality/value This paper provided support for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive intervention derived from the positive psychological severity symptoms of anxiety among individuals diagnosed with SUDs. The findings produced by this study can help modify the intervention and improve the effectiveness of future trials.