Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Patients With Chronic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy reduces pain severity, anxiety, and depression while improving quality of life in patients with chronic pain. In a randomized clinical trial, 50 patients were assigned to either an MBSR group receiving eight weekly sessions or a control group receiving no intervention. Results showed that MBSR therapy significantly decreased pain, anxiety, and depression and improved quality of life. The authors suggest MBSR can be used alongside common medications for chronic pain.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Objectives: This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on pain intensity, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic pain via randomized clinical trials. Methods: The study population consisted of all patients with chronic pain referred to Imam Reza Hospital. Of these patients, 50 cases who met the inclusion criteria and were willing to participate in the study were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental (n=25) or control groups (n=25). After selecting the patients and randomly assigning them to the two groups, the research questionnaires were completed by the patients before and after the treatment. After obtaining a written consent letter from the research participants, the experimental group received MBSR therapy (8 weekly sessions) while the control group did not receive any intervention. The questionnaires included the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), the World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL) (WHOQOL-BREF), the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and the Beck depression inventory-2nd edition (BDI-II). To comply with the ethical principles, after the end of the study, MBSR therapy was administered to the control group as well. The data were analyzed via analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance in the SPSS software, v. 19. Results: The results of the analysis showed that MBSR therapy reduces pain severity, anxiety, and depression in patients with chronic pain (P<0.05). The findings also showed that MBSR therapy improves the QoL of patients with chronic pain (P<0.05). Conclusion: Along with the common medications for chronic pain, MBSR therapy can be used to improve the QoL and reduce the severity of pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with chronic pain.