The Effectiveness of Self-Compassion-Based Mindfulness Training on Psychological Distress and Craving in Stimulant-Dependent People

The present study sought to investigate the effectiveness of self-compassion-based mindfulness training on psychological distress and craving in stimulant-dependent individuals.

The present study was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the study included all stimulant-dependent individuals referring to addiction treatment centers in the city of Kashan in 2023. Of them, 32 people were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental (n =16) and control (n =16) groups. Participants in both groups completed the depression-anxiety-stress scales and the craving questionnaire in the pre- and post-test. The self-compassion-based mindfulness training was carried out on the experimental group in eight 90-minute sessions with a frequency of one session per week. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the two groups, and mindfulness training based on self-compassion-based mindfulness training reduced psychological distress and craving in the subjects.

According to the results obtained, experts in the field of addiction can emphasize the improvement of psychological distress and craving through self-compassion-based mindfulness training.