Ultra-Brief Breath Counting (Mindfulness) Training Abolishes Negative Affect–Induced Alcohol Motivation in Hazardous Community Drinkers
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Published:2024-02-27
Issue:3
Volume:15
Page:653-664
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ISSN:1868-8527
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Container-title:Mindfulness
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Mindfulness
Author:
Bakou Alexandra ElissavetORCID, Hardy Lorna, Shuai RuichongORCID, Wright KimORCID, Hogarth LeeORCID
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
Mindfulness therapy improves drinking outcomes arguably by attenuating negative mood–induced drinking, but this mechanism has not been demonstrated in hazardous community drinkers. To address this, three studies tested whether a key ingredient of mindfulness, breath counting, would attenuate the increase in motivation for alcohol produced by experimentally induced negative mood, in hazardous community drinkers.
Method
In three studies, hazardous community drinkers were randomized to receive either a 6-min breath counting training or listen to a recited extract from a popular science book, before all participants received a negative mood induction. Motivation for alcohol was measured before and after listening to either the breath counting training or the control audio files, with a craving questionnaire in two online studies (n = 122 and n = 111), or an alcohol versus food picture choice task in a pub context in one in-person study (n = 62).
Results
In Study 1, breath counting reduced alcohol craving. However, since the mood induction protocol did not increase craving, the effect of breath counting in reversing such increase could not be demonstrated. Online breath counting eliminated the increase in alcohol craving induced by negative mood (Study 2) and eliminated the stress-induced increase in alcohol picture choice in the pub environment (Study 3).
Conclusions
Briefly trained breath counting attenuated negative mood–induced alcohol motivation in hazardous community drinkers. These results suggest that breath counting is a reliable and practical method for reducing the impact of negative emotional triggers on alcohol motivation.
Preregistration
These studies are not preregistered.
Funder
Economic and Social Research Council Alcohol Change UK Medical Research Council
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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