Adding integrative meditation with ear acupressure to outpatient treatment of cocaine addiction: a randomized controlled pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Cocaine addiction continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. With no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmaceutical therapy, treatment often relies on psychosocial interventions. This pilot therapy development study attempts to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of adding breathing-based Integrative Meditation and Ear Acupressure (IMEA) to outpatient treatment of cocaine addiction.


METHODS
Fifty-six (56) cocaine-dependent patients were recruited from an outpatient addiction treatment facility in Baltimore, MD and randomized into either an IMEA or a treatment as usual (TAU) group for the 12 weeks of study, with weekly meetings to monitor treatment outcomes and to facilitate meditative therapy.


METHODS
The outcome measures consisted of treatment retention rates by week 8 and 12; abstinence rates measured by 6 continuous weeks of negative urinalysis for cocaine, and addiction-related symptoms such as anxiety, craving, depression, and withdrawal symptoms.


RESULTS
With the assistance of simplified breath training and a portable MP4 device, 80% of IMEA participants self-reported practicing breathing or meditation 5+ days a week with acceptable compliance and showed strong interest in meditative techniques. Compared to TAU, IMEA participants reported significantly higher treatment completion rates by week 8 (89% versus 63%) and week 12 (81% versus 58%), higher abstinence rates (66% versus 34%), and significantly greater reduction in craving, anxiety, and other addiction-related symptoms. Some participants continued meditation after study completion.


CONCLUSIONS
It is feasible to add breathing-based IMEA to outpatient treatment of cocaine addiction. Although a number of limitations exist for this pilot study, further large-scale clinical trials and therapy-development studies of IMEA for addiction are warranted.
Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. kchen@compmed.umm.edu
Kevin W
KW
Chen
Christine C
CC
Berger
Devang
D
Gandhi
Eric
E
Weintraub
C W
CW
Lejuez
D019050:Acupressure; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D055097:Auriculotherapy; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D059039:Standard of Care; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome