Do mindfulness interventions cause harm? Findings from the Learning to Apply Mindfulness to Pain (LAMP) Pragmatic Clinical Trial.
Diana J. Burgess, Collin M Calvert, Ann Bangerter, Mariah Branson, Lee J. S. Cross, Roni Evans, John E Ferguson, Jessica K Friedman, Emily M Hagel Campbell, Alexander C. Haley, Sierra Hennessy, Colleen Kraft, Mallory Mahaffey, Marianne S Matthias, Laura A Meis, J Greg Serpa, Stephanie L. Taylor, Brent C Taylor
Pain Medicine November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnae056 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 708 |
| Population | Patients with chronic pain, 61% with a mental health diagnosis |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Duration | 10-week follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Meditation-related adverse effects Veterans |
| Citations | 3 |
| Registration | NCT04526158 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions did not increase psychological or physical worsening compared to usual care; usual care participants were more likely to report increased symptoms. |
Abstract
Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are widely used in clinical and nonclinical settings, there has been little systematic study of their potential risks. To address this gap, we examined differences in psychological and physical worsening among participants in the usual care and intervention conditions of a 3-group, randomized pragmatic trial (Learning to Apply Mindfulness to Pain [LAMP]) that tested the effectiveness of 2 approaches to delivering MBIs to patients with chronic pain. The sample consisted of 374 male and 334 female patients with chronic pain enrolled in the LAMP trial who completed a 10-week follow-up survey, 61% of whom had a mental health diagnosis. Psychological and physical worsening was assessed by a checklist asking whether participants experienced specific symptoms since beginning the study. We used multivariable logistic regression models with imputed data to determine whether predicted probabilities of increased symptoms differed between usual care and the 2 MBIs. Participants in usual care were more likely to report experiencing increased psychological and physical worsening than were those in the MBIs, including an increase in disturbing memories; sadness, anxiousness, and fatigue; isolation and loneliness; and feeling more upset than usual when something reminded them of the past. MBIs do not appear to cause harm, in terms of increased symptoms, for this population of patients with chronic pain and high levels of mental health comorbidities. Preregistration with an analysis plan at www.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04526158. Patient enrollment began December 4, 2020.
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 16
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey PLoS One September 5, 2017
and 11 more in the library