Feasibility and Acceptability of an App-Based Mindfulness Meditation Intervention for People with Spinal Cord Injury and Chronic Pain.
Radha Korupolu, Chelsea G Ratcliff, Shrasti Lohiya, Heather B Taylor, Ruosha Li, Susan Robinson-Whelen
Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation 2026 DOI: 10.46292/sci25-00038 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Individuals with spinal cord injury and chronic pain |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Health education |
| Duration | 6-week intervention, 6-week post-intervention follow-up |
| Measures | satisfaction questionnaire, pain intensity, pain interference, depression, anxiety |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Mobile app-based intervention Pain intensity Quality of life Spinal cord injury |
| Key findings | The app-guided mindfulness meditation intervention met feasibility benchmarks for recruitment and retention, with high acceptability, but adherence fell below the benchmark overall. Satisfaction scores were high in both groups, supporting the feasibility of the intervention for this population. |
Abstract
This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an app-guided mindfulness meditation (MM) intervention compared to a health education (HE) control for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and chronic pain. A pilot randomized controlled trial recruited 60 individuals with SCI and chronic pain from local SCI outpatient clinics, national registries, and community outreach. Participants were randomly assigned to MM or HE conditions. The intervention involved listening to either guided meditations or health-related talks on a mobile app for 10 minutes/day, 6 days/week, for 6 weeks. Feasibility was determined via benchmarks for recruitment (≥80% consent rate), adherence (≥70% use app ≥60 minutes/week for 6 weeks), and retention (≥70% complete follow-up assessments). Acceptability was determined if ≥70% of participants reported a score of ≥20 on a satisfaction questionnaire. Participants also completed ratings of pain intensity, interference, depression, and anxiety at baseline (T1), immediately post intervention (T2), and 6 weeks post intervention (T3). A total of 93% of eligible participants consented, 76% completed T2, and 86% completed T3 assessments. Adherence rates fell below the benchmark for MM (63%) and HE (62%) but exceeded the benchmark when considering only participants who used the app at least once (MM, 71%; HE, 80%). Eighty-two percent of MM and 84% of HE scored ≥20 on the satisfaction questionnaire. A 6-week MM intervention using a no-cost, publicly available app is feasible and acceptable among people with SCI and chronic pain. Future research examining the efficacy of the MM intervention on pain and mood in this population is warranted.
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 |