Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for cannabis regular users: Preliminary outcomes of a randomized clinical trial.

Mindfulness-based approaches have shown their effectiveness in caring for patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) integrates practices from mindfulness-based interventions and cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention (RP) approaches. This article presents the preliminary results of a study that measures the effectiveness of an MBRP protocol for volunteer cannabis users willing to reduce or stop their consumptions. Twenty cannabis users were randomly assigned to either receive an eight-week outpatient MBRP program or treatment as usual (TAU). Cannabis use was assessed weekly through the timeline follow back (TLFB). Eighty percent of individuals received MBRP treatment and 60% of individuals received TAU completed treatment. Preliminary results did not find significant difference at the end of treatment (week 8) regarding the number of joints smoked. Despite the absence of any significant difference between the two groups, the contribution of mindfulness in the caring of SUD seems encouraging and promising. Many MBRP group participants reported qualitative changes in the way they consumed. This study will be continued in order to evaluate the effectiveness of MBRP on a larger number of subjects.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: characterization of two distinct patient profiles on the basis of trauma history.

This prospective study investigated and compared psychiatric features of 25 consecutive patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) on the basis of presence of reported trauma. The "trauma" group comprised 19 patients (76%) and the "no-trauma" group comprised 6 patients (34%). We compared history of PNES, psychiatric comorbidity, alexithymia, and symptoms of dissociation. The study clearly characterized two distinct profiles of patients with PNES on the basis of trauma history. Patients with trauma had at least one psychiatric comorbidity or antecedent (vs 0% in the no-trauma group NT, P<0.001) and a higher median score of dissociation (P<0.001). Patients without trauma had more frequent "frustration situations" as a factor triggering PNES and subsequent sick leaves as perpetuating factors (P=0.001). Trauma antecedents correlated with a high rate of psychiatric comorbidity and a strong dissociative mechanism. Patients without trauma had no psychiatric comorbidity and a weaker dissociative mechanism.