Specific Somatic Symptoms Alleviated by Mindfulness Meditation Training
OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine September 29, 2018 DOI: 10.21926/obm.icm.1804023 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of an observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Patients seeking MBSR for anxiety, depression, and/or stress-related concerns at an outpatient mental health clinic |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Somatic symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, gastrointestinal symptoms, and some forms of pain were frequently endorsed and generally improved following MBSR, except for pain in the arms, legs, or joints. Patients screening positive for GAD reported more somatic symptoms before MBSR and greater improvement afterward than those screening negative, though the authors describe this as preliminary evidence requiring large controlled studies. |
Abstract
Background: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based intervention developed to teach mindfulness meditation to a wide range of patients. Although the efficacy of MBSR has been established for a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions, measured outcomes rarely include physical symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and/or stress. The current study presents a secondary analysis of data obtained from patients seeking MBSR for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or other stress-related concerns in an outpatient mental health clinic setting. Original analyses from this patient sample found that patients reported reductions not only on measures of anxiety, depression, and stress, but also reported reduced somatic symptoms following MBSR.
Methods: Data for this secondary analysis were available from a subsample of 17 patients. Item analysis of the somatic symptom measure was conducted to determine which of the 15 specific somatic symptoms most often seen in primary care medical settings were endorsed and which symptoms improved following MBSR. A second aim was to determine whether somatic symptoms were related to probable GAD status, and if so, whether somatic symptoms equivalently improved among the probable GAD patient group.
Results: Somatic symptoms of physical fatigue, sleep disturbance, gastrointestinal symptoms, and various forms of pain were more frequently endorsed. These symptoms improved following MBSR, with the exception of pain in the arms, legs, or joints. Patients screening positive for GAD reported more somatic symptoms before MBSR than patients who screened negative (p < .026). Probable GAD patients also reported greater somatic symptom improvement following MBSR (p < .004), and both groups of patients reported only minimal to mild somatic symptoms post-intervention.
Conclusions: These results provide preliminary evidence that MBSR may be associated with improvements in somatic symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, and certain forms of pain for patients with and without probable GAD. However, large controlled research studies measuring somatic symptoms are needed.
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 10
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Improving Health, Quality of Life, and Social Functioning in Adults Campbell Systematic Reviews 2012
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for patients with anxiety disorders: evaluation in a randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy January 27, 2011
and 5 more in the library