Participants with chronic pain who received mindfulness-based interventions were less likely to report psychological and physical worsening than those receiving usual care. In a randomized trial of 708 patients with chronic pain, 61% of whom had a mental health diagnosis, usual care participants more often reported increases in disturbing memories, sadness, anxiousness, fatigue, isolation, loneliness, and feeling upset by reminders of the past. The mindfulness interventions did not appear to cause harm for this population with high mental health comorbidities.
Among 1,737 veterans with chronic pain, higher levels of applied mindfulness practice—especially using positive emotional regulation—were linked to less pain interference, less pain catastrophizing, and better outcomes for fatigue, sleep, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, physical function, and social participation. Applied mindfulness was not significantly associated with pain intensity. The findings suggest that actively using mindfulness skills in daily life, particularly to regulate positive emotions, may improve pain-related functioning. The Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (AMPS) appears useful for measuring how people apply mindfulness outside formal sessions.