Social Support and Psychological Distress among Chronic Pain Patients: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness.
Jenna M Wilson, Carin A Colebaugh, K Mikayla Flowers, Samantha M Meints, Robert R Edwards, Kristin L Schreiber
Personality and Individual Differences February 4, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111551 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 94 |
| Population | Chronic pain patients |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Social support Psychological distress |
| Key findings | Greater social support was associated with less psychological distress, and greater mindfulness was associated with greater social support and less psychological distress. Mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between social support and psychological distress, suggesting it may be one pathway linking social support to distress in chronic pain patients. |
Abstract
Although an inverse relation between social support and psychological distress among chronic pain patients has been previously reported, little is known about what mediates this association. We examined mindfulness as a mediator of the relationship between social support and psychological distress. In this cross-sectional study, chronic pain patients (N=94) completed assessments of social support, mindfulness, and psychological distress. Greater social support was associated with less psychological distress. Greater mindfulness was associated with greater social support and less psychological distress. Mediation analyses demonstrated that mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between social support and psychological distress. Findings support and extend prior research by demonstrating a potentially important mediating effect of mindfulness within chronic pain patients. This suggests an important link between social support and mindfulness, and that their integration in the pursuit of mental health should be considered in future behavioral interventions.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Comparative evaluation of group-based mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment and management of chronic pain: A systematic review and network meta-analysis Evidence-Based Mental Health January 23, 2019
- Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: Evidence and applications. Asian Journal of Psychiatry February 2018