A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on Pain Severity and Quality of Life in People Living With Fibromyalgia.
Edward Walsh, Kayleigh Hart, Bettina Forster
European Journal of Pain April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.70239 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,153 |
| Population | People living with fibromyalgia |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Short and long term follow up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Persistent pain |
| Key findings | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction does not significantly reduce pain severity in fibromyalgia but has a small positive effect on quality of life at both short and long term follow up. |
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on pain severity, quality of life, pain catastrophising, and depression for people living with Fibromyalgia (FM) at short and long term follow up. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO Trial Registry, CINAHL and PsychInfo were searched from inception to December 2025 for English language full papers. Randomised and non-randomised trials were included where MBSR was compared with no treatment, usual care or any active control; online MBSR interventions were excluded. The search identified 566 records, of which 11 original trials and 1153 participants were included, 1097 of whom were women. A predefined risk of bias tool was used to assess included studies. Fixed effect model meta-analysis showed improvements in favour of MBSR compared with active controls at long term follow up in quality of life (SMD -0.2635 [95% CI -0.4725, -0.0545]) and pain catastrophising (SMD -0.5375 [95% CI -0.8323, -0.2428]). Significant effects on pain severity (SMD -0.2966 [95% CI -0.4939, -0.0992]) and depression (SMD -0.4452 [95% CI -0.6502, -0.2402]) were only present at short term follow up versus passive control. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) determined the certainty of outcomes ranging from very low to moderate. MBSR improves pain catastrophising and quality of life in people with FM at short and long term follow up; pain severity and depression were not significantly alleviated versus active control. OSF Registration: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/TJ5HX. This meta-analysis reveals that, among individuals living with fibromyalgia, mindfulness based stress reduction does not significantly reduce pain severity, updating the guidance from the last review in 2013. Mindfulness based stress reduction does however have a small positive effect on quality of life compared with other active treatments, at both short and long term follow up. This suggests there is a long lasting, mindfulness specific mechanism that improves quality of life.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- How long does a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress Journal of Clinical Psychology March 23, 2009
- A controlled study of the effect of a mindfulness-based stress reduction technique in women with multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare April 1, 2009
- Experiences of Mindfulness Training in Living with Rheumatic Disease: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis British Journal of Occupational Therapy March 1, 2011
- Mindfulness as a protective factor against depressive symptoms in people with fibromyalgia. Journal of Mental Health April 2020
- A randomized controlled efficacy trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction compared to an active control group and usual care for fibromyalgia: the EUDAIMON study. Pain August 13, 2019
and 10 more in the library