Mindfulness, Personality and Negative Effect in Substance Abuse - Dissertation Example

The implications for substance abuse and treatment of substance abuse are relevant insofar as mindfulness therapy can sufficiently help substance users cope with and avoid a negative effect. Thus, future research can be more useful in testing the effect of mindfulness therapy on the negative effect associated with substance use. Future research should also be conducted on mindfulness, personality and negative effect prior to and after substance abuse to more clearly identify and explain the relationship.

Mindfulness which refers to the ability to deliberately pay attention to and be aware of one’s ongoing experiences is said to be linked to substance abuse in an indirect way (Leigh, Bowen, & Marlatt, 2005). Mindfulness is a state of heightened consciousness and as such an individual’s level of mindfulness might contribute to how both the mind and the body functions under stress and in general (Black, 2012). For example, an individual with little or low levels of mindfulness might be considered impulsive.

Although some degree of impulsivity can be refreshing such as taking a sudden and unplanned holiday, impulsivity is also linked to excessive risk-taking and psychiatric disorders. Specifically, impulsivity is linked to personality disorders, mania, and substance abuse (Stratton, 2006).Given the utility of mindfulness in directing non-judgmental attention to one’s surroundings and one’s experiences, mindfulness has emerged as a psychological technique for bringing about behavioral change (Appel, & Kim-Appel, 2009).

The acquisition of mindfulness skills has now become a part of substance abuse therapies for learning to cope with the urge to use substances and relapsing. It is believed that since mindfulness focuses on accepting the present experience and addiction involves the persistent need to escape the present and thus facilitates urges to use substances, mindfulness skills can help users overcome these urges (Appel, & Kim-Appel, 2009).Even so, there is a lack of research on the extent to which substance users and abusers suffer from mindfulness deficits (Dakwar, Mariani, & Levin, 2011).

Dakwar, et al (2011) conducted a study on a population of multi-drug users and single-drug users involving a variety of drugs.