Mindfulness-based meditation in a therapeutic community

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Abstract
Therapeutic communities (TCs) for the treatment of drug-use disorders provide a highly structured social learning environment designed to encourage positive changes in behaviour, attitudes and emotions. The TC experience is restrictive and stressful, an arduous process described by residents as requiring unique strategies to cope with recovery in this setting. The aims of this study were to investigate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based meditation programme in (I) reducing psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology, and (2) increasing positive coping styles, in persons recovering from addictive disorders in a TC. Study subjects were 36 TC residents; 18 subjects were in the experimental group, and 18 subjects were in the control group. Though not statistically significant, there was a trend toward increased anger control, self-control, seeking social support coping behaviours, and decreased hostility in the experimental group. The authors discuss the need for a larger study to validate these promising findings.

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