Mindfulness-based stress reduction in therapeutic community treatment: a stage 1 trial.

OBJECTIVE This trial compared Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, adapted for therapeutic community treatment (MBTC), with treatment as usual (TAU) for reducing stress and increasing retention in a residential facility for substance use disorders. METHOD Four-hundred and fifty-nine participants, who met DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence were recruited (TAU = 164, MBTC = 295). RESULTS A survival analysis of time to dropout did not show a significant difference between groups, however level of participation in MBTC was associated with decreased likelihood of dropout (p = < .01), and higher Symptoms of Stress Inventory (SOSI) scores at baseline were associated with increased likelihood of dropout (p = .03). CONCLUSION The association between retention and level of stress on intake as well as level of participation in MBTC provides support for further research on integrating MBTC into therapeutic community treatment.