Dispositional Mindfulness and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Among Women in Residential Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) are prevalent among populations with substance use disorders (SUD). The risk of relapse following SUD treatment is increased if CSB are not addressed. Despite this risk, few studies have examined protective factors for CSB among individuals with SUD, and none have examined protective factors unique to women with CSB and SUD. Women’s CSB are believed to be motivated by efforts to avoid painful affective experiences (e.g., trauma symptoms, loneliness, and shame). Dispositional mindfulness was shown to reduce one’s risk for engaging in maladaptive responses to aversive experiences. Thus, we hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness would negatively relate to CSB among women with SUD. For the present study, we reviewed cross-sectional, self-report measures which were included in the medical records of 429 women in residential treatment for SUD. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that, controlling for age, and drug, and alcohol problems and use, dispositional mindfulness negatively related to the core dimensions of CSB. These findings suggest that women with CSB and SUD are less likely to willingly approach present-moment experiences with acceptance. These preliminary findings suggest that researchers and clinicians should consider the utility of mindfulness-based approaches in treating women with CSB and SUD.