A growing body of evidence suggests that mindfulness is a useful treatment for reducing alcohol use, yet little is known about the relationship between trait mindfulness and alcohol misuse. Furthermore, the variation in the measurement of mindfulness means that the existing evidence is difficult to interpret and the prevalent use of student samples greatly limits generalisability. It has been proposed that mindfulness may bring more awareness and acceptance to depression symptoms and craving leading to reduced alcohol use. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the individual facets of mindfulness and alcohol misuse, taking into account the role of depression and craving. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used to explore these relationships in individuals seeking treatment for alcohol misuse. Seventy seven participants completed self-report measures on depression, craving, mindfulness and alcohol misuse. The results showed that depression symptoms were positively associated with alcohol misuse and negatively correlated with mindfulness, thus supporting previous findings. The mindfulness abilities of bringing full awareness to present moment activities and adopting a non-judgemental and a non-reactive attitude were associated with less alcohol misuse. The ability to bring full awareness to present moment activities was also associated with less craving. However, mindfulness did not moderate the association between depression and alcohol misuse, disconfirming the hypothesis. Higher levels of craving were associated with higher levels of alcohol misuse suggesting that craving represents a cognitive marker that precedes alcohol use. The results provide valuable evidence of the association between certain mindfulness facets and alcohol misuse in a sample of individuals with moderate to severe alcohol misuse problems and suggest that these mindfulness abilities may be a useful focus for interventions for both depression and alcohol misuse.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:604551 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Bartlett, Claire |
| Publisher | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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