Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Patients With Chronic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Farshad Sheybani, P. Dabaghi, S. Najafi, Mohsen Rajaeinejad
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology July 1, 2022 DOI: 10.32598/ijpcp.28.2.1627.2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Patients with chronic pain referred to Imam Reza Hospital |
| Duration | 8 weekly sessions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR therapy reduces pain severity, anxiety, and depression and improves quality of life in patients with chronic pain. |
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.
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
Cited by 3
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic pain: Enhancing psychological well-being without altering attentional biases towards pain faces. European Journal of Pain February 1, 2025
- Vipassanā Meditation in Contemporary Psychiatry: Transformation of a Buddhist Practice into a Mental Health Intervention Kamali: Jurnal Ilmu Agama June 26, 2026
- The Effect of Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Sleep Quality in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research 2026
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