Mindfulness practice time and quality in veterans with chronic pain.
Hang Ruan, Jennifer L DelVentura, Andrea C Katz, William J Meyer, Dustin S Goerlitz, Jessica A Chen, Simon B. Goldberg
Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) July 22, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-025-08182-3 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn a structured mindfulness training program for 112 veterans with chronic pain, practice time and quality improved over the two-month treatment period. Self-reported well-being and health satisfaction also improved, but pain acceptance and pain interference did not change. Veterans whose practice quality improved more steeply reported greater gains in quality of life. However, no link was found between practice quality and other outcomes, nor between practice time and any outcomes. The results suggest that practice quality, rather than practice time, may play a role in improving quality of life for veterans with chronic pain.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 112 |
| Population | Veterans with chronic pain |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | 2-month intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Practice quality Practice time Veterans |
| Key finding | Steeper increases in mindfulness practice quality over time were associated with greater improvements in quality of life, but practice time was not linked to any outcomes. |
Abstract
Mindfulness interventions are associated with improvements in multiple areas of health, including chronic pain functioning, but little is known about how these improvements are best achieved in clinical settings. The present study examined clinical outcomes in a structured mindfulness training protocol in a sample of 112 veterans with chronic pain. Mindfulness practice time and quality, as well as pain- and health-related outcome measures were collected at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months. Multilevel models were used to examine changes in outcomes from baseline to 2 months. Practice time and quality improved over the course of treatment. Self-reported well-being and health satisfaction also improved over time, although pain acceptance and pain interference did not. Those reporting steeper increases in practice quality over time reported greater improvements in quality of life. No associations were observed between practice quality and other outcomes nor between practice time and outcomes. Results support a potential role of practice quality in producing improvements in quality of life among veterans with chronic pain. In contrast, practice time was not linked with outcomes. Future randomized trials comparing this protocol to a control group are warranted to further elucidate clinical effects and mechanisms and to clarify the roles of practice time and practice quality within this population.