Skip to content

The impact of a meditation-based stress reduction program on fibromyalgia.

K H Kaplan, D L Goldenberg, M Galvin-Nadeau

General Hospital Psychiatry September 1, 1993 DOI: 10.1016/0163-8343(93)90020-o (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed
Sample size 77
Population Patients meeting the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia
Intervention Meditation-based stress reduction program
Duration 10-week group outpatient program; evaluated before and after the program
Measures Visual analog scales (global well-being, pain, sleep, fatigue, feeling refreshed in the morning), medical symptom checklist, SCL-90-R, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Attitude Index, psychiatric structured clinical interview (SCID)
Topics Depression Meditation
Keywords Humans Fibromyalgia Psychophysiologic disorders Pain measurement Treatment outcome Ambulatory care Adaptation, psychological Stress, psychological Sick role Awareness Somatoform disorders Personality inventory Adult Female Relaxation therapy
Key points In 77 fibromyalgia patients completing a 10-week meditation-based stress reduction program, mean scores improved on all measures, and 51% showed moderate to marked improvement and were counted as "responders." The authors present these as preliminary findings suggesting the program is effective for fibromyalgia.

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and resistance to treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program on fibromyalgia. Seventy-seven patients meeting the 1990 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for fibromyalgia took part in a 10-week group outpatient program. Therapists followed a carefully defined treatment approach and met weekly to further promote uniformity. Patients were evaluated before and after the program. Initial evaluation included a psychiatric structured clinical interview (SCID). Outcome measures included visual analog scales to measure global well-being, pain, sleep, fatigue, and feeling refreshed in the morning. Patients also completed a medical symptom checklist, SCL-90-R, Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and the Fibromyalgia Attitude Index. Although the mean scores of all the patients completing the program showed improvement, 51% showed moderate to marked improvement and only they were counted as "responders." These preliminary findings suggest that a meditation-based stress reduction program is effective for patients with fibromyalgia.

Comparable studies

Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients 2003 Pre-post intervention study n = 59
Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample 2010 Pre-post intervention study
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students 2003 Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study n = 302
Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls 2011 Controlled trial with wait-list control group n = 60
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents 2011 Within-group waitlist controlled trial n = 22

Citations in the library

Cited by 86

and 81 more in the library

Cites 4

Related reading

Explore topics

Depression Meditation