This project will test whether Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Smoking and Alcohol (MBRP-SA) will lead to higher smoking abstinence and reduced alcohol use among cancer survivors compared to standard care (SC), which is a connection to state quitline services and referral to alcohol treatment options. We will first conduct a small, single-arm trial of MBRP-SA among cancer survivors, followed by a 2-arm randomized controlled trial, where we will randomize cancer survivors who want to quit smoking and modify their alcohol use to either MBRP-SA or SC. This study will fill a critical gap in the existing literature by being the first to test the efficacy of an intervention for concurrent smoking and alcohol use among cancer survivors, supported by preliminary data from the team and the broader literature on mindfulness interventions for this population.
This project expanded on prior research to adapt a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Smoking and Alcohol (MBRP-SA) intervention, specifically designed for individuals seeking to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption. By conducting focus groups, the study gathered feedback on an existing group-based MBRP-SA intervention, refining it to address cancer-specific challenges. Feedback gained was used to tailor the program to meet the unique needs of individuals with cancer for a future NIH-funded study.
This study was a NIH-funded study that first modified an existing mindfulness-based group intervention, Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), to target both smoking abstinence and the reduction of alcohol use as a primary treatment option. We then compared this modified treatment (MBRP-SA) to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to establish feasibility and acceptability, while also collecting descriptive data that was analyzed to track trends to reveal information useful in development of a large-scale trial.
Funding Source:
R34AT009689 (Development of a Mindfulness-Based Treatment for the Reduction of Alcohol Use and Smoking Cessation)
Publications:
Vinci, C., Sutton, S. K., Yang, M., Baban, S., Sauls, R., Witkiewitz, K., Brandon, K. O., Unrod, M., Brandon, T. H., & Wetter, D. W. (2023). Pilot randomized controlled trial of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for smoking and alcohol use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 244, PMCID: PMC9975045.
Yang, M., Ketcher, D., Witkiewitz, K., Unrod, M., Baban, S., Wetter, D.W., & Vinci, C. (2022). What happens when you smoke a cigarette mindfully?: A deductive qualitative study. Mindfulness, 13, 2628-2640.
Vinci, C., Hemenway, M., Baban, S. S., Yang, M., Brandon, K. O., Witkiewitz, K., Unrod, M., Brandon, T. H., Wetter, D. W., & Sutton, S. K. (2022). Transition to telehealth: Challenges and benefits of conducting group-based smoking and alcohol treatment virtually. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 114, 106689. PMCID: PMC8785408.
Hemenway, M., Witkiewitz, K., Unrod, M., Brandon, K. O., Brandon, T. H., Wetter, D. W., Sutton, S. K., & Vinci, C. (2021). Development of a mindfulness-based treatment for smoking cessation and the modification of alcohol use: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial and pilot study findings. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 100, 106218. PMCID: PMC7887009.