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A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for HIV-Associated Chronic Pain.

Mary Catherine George, Arada Wongmek, Michelle Kaku, Alexandra Nmashie, Jessica Robinson-Papp

Behavioral Medicine December 11, 2015 DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2015.1107525 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Mixed-methods feasibility study Pilot study Qualitative Peer reviewed
Sample size 32
Population Inner-city adults living with HIV/AIDS and chronic pain
Interventions Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) health education control
Duration 3-month follow-up
Measures Brief Pain Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, HIV Symptoms Index, autonomic function testing, audiotaped focus groups
Topics Meditation
Keywords Humans Hiv infections Self care Focus groups Pilot projects Stress, psychological Quality of life Adult Middle aged Female Chronic pain Mixed methods
Key points After the intervention, participants reported modest improvements in pain and perceived stress, but no effect of group assignment was observed. At three-month follow-up, 79% of MBSR participants were still practicing and pain intensity improved, whereas control-group pain intensity worsened. Focus groups found a strong sense of community in both groups, but only MBSR was perceived as useful for relaxation and pain relief.

Abstract

Treatment guidelines for chronic pain recommend nonpharmacologic modalities as part of a comprehensive management plan. Chronic pain is common among people living with HIV/AIDS, but there is little data to guide the choice of nonpharmacologic therapies in this complex population. We performed a mixed-methods feasibility study of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) versus health education control with 32 inner city, HIV-infected participants. Outcome measures included: the Brief Pain Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, HIV Symptoms Index, autonomic function testing, and audiotaped focus groups. Post-intervention, participants reported modest improvements in pain measures and perceived stress, but no effect of group assignment was observed. At 3-month follow-up, 79% of MBSR participants were still practicing, and pain intensity was improved, whereas in the control group pain intensity had worsened. Qualitative analysis revealed a strong sense of community in both groups, but only MBSR was perceived as useful for relaxation and pain relief.

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The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system 2004 Implementation study with mixed methods
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A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context 2001 Qualitative study n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators 2013 Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

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