A qualitative comparison of mindfulness meditation, cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for chronic low back pain.
Brittany K Cattanach, Beverly E Thorn, Dawn M Ehde, Mark P Jensen, Melissa A Day
Rehabilitation psychology August 2021 DOI: 10.1037/rep0000344 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 57 |
| Population | Adults with chronic low back pain enrolled in a randomized controlled trial |
| Interventions | Cognitive therapy (CT) Mindfulness meditation (MM) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants reported that each treatment involved a few unique procedures consistent with its underlying theory, such as cognitive restructuring in cognitive therapy and staying in the present moment in mindfulness meditation, alongside many shared processes and common factors across all three treatments. Therapeutic rapport, coping skills participants could use themselves, and changes in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral mechanisms were described as critical. |
Abstract
This study reports a qualitative analysis of patient experiences following cognitive therapy (CT), mindfulness meditation (MM), or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for chronic low back pain (CLBP). It aimed to investigate the procedural elements reported by participants as important across these approaches, as well as the role of treatment-related change processes and common factors. Research Method/Design: A qualitative analysis of posttreatment semistructured interviews was conducted with participants who enrolled in a randomized controlled trial comparing MM, CT, and MBCT (N = 57 adults with CLBP). A thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was undertaken by two independent coders; emerging themes, subthemes, and direct quotes were collated, and thematic maps were created. Procedural elements that were both unique (e.g., "cognitive restructuring" in CT) and shared among the three treatments (e.g., "knowledge gained" on pain-related topics) were reported as important. Each treatment was associated with a small number of unique therapeutic processes that were consistent with theoretical tenets underlying the interventions (e.g., "staying in the present moment" in MM). A large number of shared processes and common factors also emerged as important across all three treatments. These first-person accounts provide insight into those participant-identified therapeutic procedures and change processes that were most valued by individuals completing cognitive and mindfulness-based interventions for CLBP. Early identification of treatment barriers and strategies to overcome these barriers is necessary. Further, therapeutic rapport and training participants in coping skills they themselves can use were critical, as was engendering changes in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral mechanisms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- How Do Mindfulness‐Based and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Help Adults With Opioid‐Treated Chronic Low Back Pain? A Qualitative Study Pain Practice October 9, 2026
- “Pain doesn’t control my life, I control it” – a qualitative investigation of the experiences of individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain participating in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program Disability and Rehabilitation August 26, 2026
- Outcome Expectancies, Effects, and Mechanisms of Brief Training in Mindfulness Meditation vs. Loving-Kindness Meditation vs a Control Condition for Pain Management: A Randomized Pilot Study. Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy September 1, 2024
- Qualitative findings from a randomized trial of mindfulness-based and cognitive-behavioral group therapy for opioid-treated chronic low back pain Journal of Health Psychology April 28, 2024