| Adding a mindfulness-based intervention to a standard treatment for opioid use disorder does not appear to alter substance use but does lead to positive changes in other areas that can help improve the standard treatment, according to a new study published in Mindfulness. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and partially funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The most effective treatment for reducing drug use in people with opioid use disorder, and for lowering the morbidity and mortality associated with the disorder, is to take certain medications, an approach called medication for opioid use disorder, or MOUD. The typical medications taken in MOUD are buprenorphine or methadone and sometimes naltrexone. Among people with opioid use disorder, there is a high prevalence of other substance use, psychiatric disorders, and chronic pain; these conditions are associated with poor treatment outcomes, suggesting the need for additional supportive interventions. | 