Introduction
impulsive traits, SUDs, SUD, impulsivity
DISORDER, DISORDERS, RELAPSE
Around 35.6 million people between the ages of 15–64 suffer from substance use disorders (SUD) worldwide, corresponding to 0.7% of the global population [Besides the workforce developing a treatment for SUDs, offering effective treatments for this population remains challenging due to their harmful consumption, relapse rates, and low treatment retention. Previous evidence also suggested that impulsivity contributes to substance use. Likewise, drug use also increases impulsivity levels and contributes to the intensification of the behavior by impairing inhibitory control and decision-making. Therefore, even in the face of the severe negative consequences of its use, it is challenging to prevent relapse [Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct often referred to as a tendency to act quickly and react to external or internal stimuli without reflecting upon the consequences [Furthermore, impulsivity has two main mechanisms: inhibitory control, which is the capacity to stop an automatized behavior that has already started, and decision-making, which is the ability to decide from the consequences and evaluate long-term benefits over short-term gains [According to the Dual-System Theory, our cognitive system is divided into automatic and controlled processes [Mindfulness may refer to both a psychological state and a meditation practice. The practice intends to promote the state of mind of being aware of the present moment or experience without reacting to, avoiding, or judging it (Medical Subject Headings, MeSH Unique ID: D064866). Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) is a specific 8-weeks (2h/week) protocol that addresses addiction and reactive behaviors, and includes relapse prevention approaches and meditation practices. MBRP is a promising complementary intervention and posttreatment for SUDs [Previously cross-sectional analysis pointed out that different aspects of impulsivity are inversely related to specific dimensions of mindfulness in people with alcohol use disorder in therapeutic community treatment, meaning that higher mindfulness traits were associated with less impulsive traits [The vast amount of literature on the impact of SUDs worldwide highlights the importance of treatments capable of reducing harmful drug use. In this specific treatment environment, we cannot use substance use level as an outcome because the patients do not have access to substances. Then, as impulsivity is risky for relapse and understanding mindfulness mechanisms over impulsivity, the MBRP seems to be a treatment possibility. Second, an investigation on impulsivity using only a questionnaire could not capture the nuances of this complex cognitive process, demanding a combination of techniques such as behavioral tests. Innovative treatments designed to improve impulsivity outcomes such as reactivity would not only reduce the risk of relapse for people with SUD likewise to offer improvement in other aspects of their lives, such as general well-being and interpersonal relationships.Therefore, this study was developed to investigate the effects of an 8-week MBRP program on impulsivity during treatment in an inpatient setting in Brazil. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to do so in a therapeutic community through impulsivity self-report questionnaires and behavioral tests evaluating an 8-week MBRP intervention [