Acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of chronic pain: a meta-analytic review
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy January 2, 2016 M. Veehof, H. Trompetter, E. Bohlmeijer et al.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials totaling 1,285 chronic pain patients found that acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions (such as ACT, MBSR, and MBCT) produce small to moderate improvements in pain intensity, depression, anxiety, pain interference, disability, and quality of life at post-treatment, with small to large effects at follow-up. ACT showed significantly larger effects on depression and anxiety than MBSR or MBCT. The authors conclude these interventions are not superior to traditional cognitive behavioral treatments but can serve as good alternatives.