Assessing barriers to meditation in patients with substance use disorder

Abstract

Background and purpose

Individuals living with substance use disorder (SUD) often face unique challenges that can hinder their engagement in beneficial practices like meditation, which has been shown to support recovery and well-being. This study aimed to explore the perceived barriers to meditation with SUD, identify key obstacles, and inform future interventions that promote the adoption of a personal practice.

Materials and methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analytic study with a convenience sample of participants attending a treatment center for SUD. Data collected included demographics, SUD history, health challenges, meditation knowledge, and previous meditation practice. Barriers to meditation were evaluated using the Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory (DMPI) and its revised version, DMPI-R. Overall frequencies, proportions, and measures of central tendency were calculated. Participants currently practicing meditation were compared to those not meditating by using Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Results

One hundred sixteen individuals completed the survey. Survey respondents were an average of 45 years (standard deviation, SD, 11.46), majority female (67.0 %), and White (90.3 %). Only 28.7 % of respondents were informed of meditation by their healthcare provider, yet 81.7 % were interested in learning about meditation. Among survey respondents, “prayer is my form of meditation,” followed by “I can't stop my thoughts,” were most agreed upon.

Conclusion

Individuals living with SUD are interested in education on meditation techniques; however, additional research is needed to understand the determinants of meditation practice and discern the barriers that could help facilitate the adoption and long-term practice of this method.