Using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Prevent Suicide Among High Suicide–Risk Patients Who Also Misuse Opioids: a Preliminary Probe of Feasibility and Effectiveness
Publication Date: 04/19/2022
Abstract: Knowledge of how to effectively prevent suicide attempt (SA) in high suicide–risk patients who also misuse opioids is limited. In a subset of data from 36 participants with baseline opioid misuse in a randomized clinical trial testing adjunctive mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to prevent suicide among high suicide–risk veterans (n = 18 per treatment condition), MBCT-S reduced the likelihood of SA and acute psychiatric hospitalization over 12-month follow-up. Those in MBCT-S had a relative risk of 17% and 42% for SA and hospitalization (p =.09,.02), respectively, compared to those receiving enhanced treatment as usual (eTAU) alone. Rates of opioid misuse during follow-up were more than halved with the addition of MBCT-S to eTAU (p =.08). Meanwhile, among trial participants who did not misuse opioids (n = 104), RRs of 64% and 77% for SA and hospitalization (p =.28,.33), respectively, were found with MBCT-S compared to eTAU. An MBCT-S trial with greater power is warranted in this population.