title: Mindfulness-based interventions: an antidote to suffering in the context of substance use, misuse, and addiction.
abstract: The cultivation of mindfulness as an approach to human perception through the practice of meditation has become an increasingly popular treatment for medical and psychological symptoms and as a topic of scientific investigation. Substance user programs are also increasingly embracing this treatment strategy as either a stand-alone therapeutic modality or a complement to ongoing treatment. In this article, I supply an introduction to the special theme issue concerning mindfulness and substance use intervention by first providing a brief historical account of the secular Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program to introduce new readers to the more general topic of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), and to contextualize historical publishing trends observed in mindfulness research across the past four decades. I then examine the implications of MBIs for substance use, misuse, and addiction, especially in areas related to craving and suffering. To conclude, I outline the empirical and conceptual compendium of contributions offered in this special issue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California , USA.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D064866:Mindfulness; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*