Components of Mindfulness in Patients with Chronic Pain
L. McCracken, Miles Thompson
June 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1007/s10862-008-9099-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Patients seeking treatment for chronic pain |
| Measures | 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A confirmatory factor analysis provided only incomplete support for a single-factor structure of the 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in chronic pain patients, while an exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: Acting with Awareness, Present Focus, Responsiveness, and Social Awareness. The Acting with Awareness and Present Focus subscales were significantly related to measures of patient emotional, physical, and social functioning. |
Abstract
Methods of mindfulness are gaining increasing popularity within the behavioral and cognitive therapies and appear helpful for a range of clinical problems. The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive and behavioral processes underlying mindfulness. One hundred fifty patients seeking treatment for chronic pain completed a battery of questionnaires, including the 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown and Ryan, J Pers Soc Psychol 84:822–848, 2003). Preliminary analyses supported reliability and validity of the MAAS for patients with chronic pain. A confirmatory factor analysis provided incomplete support for a singe factor structure from the items of the MAAS. In turn, an exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution: Acting with Awareness, Present Focus, Responsiveness, and Social Awareness. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that the Acting with Awareness and Present Focus subscales were significantly related to measures of patient emotional, physical, and social functioning. Further research that explores and validates models of mindfulness-based processes is recommended.
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
Cited by 13
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Narrative Review Evaluating Levels of Evidence ISRN Psychiatry November 14, 2012
- Mindfulness Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention Reduces Pain Severity and Sensitivity in Opioid-Treated Chronic Low Back Pain: Pilot Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial Pain Medicine March 10, 2016
- Evaluation of the breathworks mindfulness‐based pain management programme: effects on well‐being and multiple measures of mindfulness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 13, 2009
- Spirituality in pain medicine: A randomized experiment of pain perception, heart rate and religious spiritual well-being by using a single session meditation methodology PLoS One September 7, 2018
- A Model of the Protective Value of Mindfulness in the Experience of Chronic Pain: Mediating Role of Pain Catastrophizing Mindfulness September 1, 2025
and 8 more in the library
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
and 7 more in the library