Psychosocial Moderators of Response to a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Trial for Chronic Low Back Pain: Considerations for Intervention Science and Development.
Lorena S Nunes, Angela C. Incollingo Rodriguez, Benjamin C. Nephew, Richard B Lopez, Jean A. King, Paula Gardiner, Natalia E. Morone
Pain Medicine March 25, 2026 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag046 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary data analysis of a randomized clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults with chronic low back pain who participated in the Aging Successfully with Pain Study (2011–2014) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week MBSR intervention with follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that MBSR is effective for reducing pain intensity and interference and improving physical and social functioning, but that diversity-related limitations and equity gaps in mindfulness-based interventions leave the field unable to determine how MBSR may benefit different population groups. The present analysis examines race, sex, income, education, and social support as moderators of MBSR's effects on pain outcome trajectories; no results are reported in this abstract. |
Abstract
Dear Editor, Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is increasingly prevalent across populations and ages.1 Low back pain is currently the leading cause of disability worldwide.2 Beyond widespread effects on individual functioning and well-being, the financial,3 psychological,4 and social5 implications of cLBP are vast. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is effective in decreasing various pain outcomes (intensity and interference) and increasing physical and social functioning.6–8 MBSR could hold great promise for chronic pain management and increasing function, but there are still diversity-based limitations and downstream equity gaps in mindfulness-based interventions. This leaves the field ill equipped to understand how MBSR might or might not benefit different swaths of the population. Our previous research has indicated that psychosocial factors (depression, sleep, stress, and racialized identity) predict trajectories of pain outcomes.9,10 The present study investigated various psychosocial factors (ie, race, sex, income, education, and social support) as moderators of the effect of MBSR on trajectories of pain outcomes holistically over the intervention and follow-up periods. This secondary data analysis was conducted on a prior 8-week MBSR clinical trial for cLBP, the Aging Successfully with Pain Study (2011–2014).8
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 3
- Race-Based Differences in the Response to a Mindfulness Based Integrative Medical Group Visit Intervention for Chronic Pain. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2024
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on physical function in individuals with chronic low back pain: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice November 2022
- A Mind-Body Program for Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine March 1, 2016