Solution-focused brief therapy combined with mindfulness-based stress reduction to alleviate claustrophobia during MR imaging.
Liyuan Fu, Minghui Mao, Chengkun Hong, Yuhang Zhang, Chujie Chen, Zhijie Yang, Yamei Lin, Hui Xiao, Hao Huang
Medicine July 11, 2025 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000043190 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective observational two-group study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 223 |
| Population | Patients at high risk of claustrophobia undergoing magnetic resonance imaging |
| Interventions | Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Measures | Claustrophobia questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Magnetic resonance imaging Mindfulness-based stress reduction Phobic disorders Solution-focused approach |
| Key findings | Patients who received solution-focused brief therapy combined with mindfulness-based stress reduction before MR imaging had significantly fewer claustrophobic events (18% vs 46%), less need for sedation (3% vs 10%) and non-sedation coping actions (12% vs 23%), shorter examination completion times (17.28 vs 19.75 minutes), higher one-time pass rates (82% vs 61%), and better anxiety, depression, and resilience scores than controls receiving routine psychological intervention. However, Claustrophobia questionnaire scores did not change significantly in either group. The authors suggest this combined intervention may substantially reduce claustrophobia in high-risk patients during MR examinations. |
Abstract
This study evaluates the influence of solution-focused approaches combined with mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on claustrophobia in a high-risk cohort undergoing magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In the prospective observational 2-group study, a total of 77 patients (55% male, mean age 50.1 ± 11.9) underwent solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) and MBSR before MR examination. The control group (146 patients, 48% male, mean age 48.7 ± 12.9) received the same MR examination condition and only received routine psychological intervention. Before the intervention, after MR examination, all patients were required to complete the Claustrophobia questionnaire, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale questionnaire. Additionally, the occurrence of claustrophobic events, image quality, patient satisfaction, average completion time, and 1-time pass rate were recorded. Claustrophobia events included premature termination, sedation, and non-sedation coping actions. The Shapiro-Wilk test was employed to assess the normality of the data, while either an independent samples t test or Mann-Whitney U test was utilized to analyze differences in quantitative information between the 2 groups. χ2 test was employed to validate the qualitative data. The prevalence of claustrophobia was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared with the control group (18%, 14/77 vs 46%, 67/146; P < .05), while the need for sedation (3%, 2/77 vs 10%, 15/146; P < .05) and non-sedation coping actions (12%, 9/77 vs 23%, 33/146; P < .05) was also significantly reduced in patients who received SFBT & MBSR interventions. Patients who received the SFBT & MBSR intervention had lower mean examination completion time (17.28 ± 3.36 vs 19.75 ± 4.23; P < .05), and hospital anxiety and depression scale score (from 9.03 ± 0.9 to 6.30 ± 0.8; 6.30 ± 0.8 vs 9.08 ± 1.0; P < .05), higher 1-time pass rate (82% vs 61%; P < .05), image quality (P < .05), examination satisfaction (P < .05), and Connor-Davidson resilience scale score (from 57.73 ± 4.5 to 66.08 ± 4.7; 66.08 ± 4.7 vs 57.78 ± 4.6; P < .05). However, there was no statistically significant change observed in the Claustrophobia questionnaire for either the intervention or control group. The intervention model combining SFBT with MBSR may substantially reduce the incidence of claustrophobia in high-risk patients during MR examinations and may reduce the need for sedation and non-sedation coping actions.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
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- Reducing cognitive arousal and sleep effort alleviates insomnia and depression in pregnant women with DSM-5 insomnia disorder treated with a mindfulness sleep program. SLEEP Advances 2023
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction in cancer patients: impact on overall survival, quality of life and risk factor. September 1, 2023
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for people with multiple sclerosis - a feasibility randomised controlled trial. BMC Neurology May 16, 2017
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Quality of Life, Psychological Distress, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Patients With Breast Cancer Under Early Chemotherapy-a Randomized Controlled Trial. Holistic Nursing Practice