Race-Based Differences in the Response to a Mindfulness Based Integrative Medical Group Visit Intervention for Chronic Pain.
Angela C. Incollingo Rodriguez, Benjamin C. Nephew, Justin J Polcari, Veronica Melican, Jean A. King, Paula Gardiner
Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2024 DOI: 10.1177/27536130241254793 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 119 |
| Population | Racially diverse adults with chronic pain and depression from a medically underserved population |
| Intervention | Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) |
| Duration | 21-week follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Group medical visit Health disparities |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | African American/Black participants showed reduced pain severity during the first 9 weeks of IMGV, while White participants showed reduced pain severity during the subsequent 9 to 21 week period. |
Abstract
Chronic pain is one of the most common drivers of healthcare utilization and a marked domain for health disparities, as African American/Black populations experience high rates of chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combine mindfulness techniques, evidence-based integrative medicine, and medical group visits. In a parent randomized controlled trial, this approach was tested as an adjunct treatment in a diverse, medically underserved population with chronic pain and depression. To determine race-based heterogeneity in the effects of a mindfulness based treatment for chronic pain. This secondary analysis of the parent trial assessed heterogeneity of treatment effects along racialized identity in terms of primary patient-reported pain outcomes in a racially diverse sample suffering from chronic pain and depression. The analytic approach examined comorbidities and sociodemographics between racialized groups. RMANOVAs examined trajectories in pain outcomes (average pain, pain severity, and pain interference) over three timepoints (baseline, 9, and 21 weeks) between participants identifying as African American/Black (n = 90) vs White (n = 29) across both intervention and control conditions. At baseline, African American/Black participants had higher pain severity and had significantly different age, work status, and comorbidity profiles. RMANOVA models also identified significant race-based differences in the response to the parent IMGV intervention. There was reduced pain severity in African American/Black subjects in the IMGV condition from baseline to 9 weeks. This change was not observed in White participants over this time period. However, there was a reduction in pain severity in White participants over the subsequent interval from 9 to 21 week where IMGV had no significant effect in African American/Black subjects during this latter time period. Interactions between pain and racialization require further investigation to understand how race-based heterogeneity in the response to integrative medicine treatments for chronic pain contribute to the broader landscape of health inequity.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2016
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Management of Chronic Pain and Its Comorbid Depression Journal of osteopathic medicine September 1, 2020
- Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: Evidence and applications. Asian Journal of Psychiatry February 2018
- Living with chronic pain: Evaluating patient experiences with a medical group visit focused on mindfulness and non-pharmacological strategies. Complementary Therapies in Medicine December 2017
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic low back pain: similar effects on mindfulness, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and acceptance in a randomized controlled trial. Pain November 2016
and 5 more in the library