The broad, long-term objectives of the current proposal are to reduce alcohol and other drug problems and related criminal recidivism among incarcerated individuals through development of a spiritually-based meditation intervention, and to develop a better understanding of the role of spirituality in promoting change following participation in such an intervention.
The specific aims of the proposed research are to: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of Vipassana meditation for reducing alcohol use, alcohol- related negative consequences, and criminal recidivism in a correctional population; (2) evaluate several domains of spirituality as potential mediators of the effectiveness of Vipassana meditation on alcohol and substance abuse outcomes among inmates who volunteer for the meditation program, and (3) Evaluate participant characteristics as predictors of willingness to volunteer to participate Vipassana meditation. Effectiveness will be evaluated through a 6-month follow-up of inmates from the North Rehabilitation Facility in King Country (Seattle) Washington, who voluntarily participate in a Vipassana meditation course, compared to case-matched controls identified from a random sample of inmates drawn from the same population at the same time. Ninety Vipassana participants (72 men, 18 women) and ninety case-matched controls will complete baseline, post-intervention, 3- and 6-month assessments of alcohol and substance use and problems, substance use diagnosis, psychiatric symptoms, several multidimensional measures of spirituality and religiosity, and social desirability. In addition, criminal history and recidivism will be obtained through extraction from King County and Washington State records, including arrests, incarcerations, probation violations, and convictions. Vipassana volunteers will also be compared to the random sample of 500 male and 110 female, inmates at baseline, to evaluate predictors of volunteering for Vipassana
| Bowen, Sarah; Witkiewitz, Katie; Dillworth, Tiara M et al. (2007) The role of thought suppression in the relationship between mindfulness meditation and alcohol use. Addict Behav 32:2324-8 |
| Simpson, T L; Kaysen, D; Bowen, S et al. (2007) PTSD symptoms, substance use, and vipassana meditation among incarcerated individuals. J Trauma Stress 20:239-49 |
