Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Perceptions and Lived Experience in Patients with Migraine

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in improving the perceptions and lived experience of patients with migraine. Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was used. Thirty patients with migraine were assigned to an MBCT group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The intervention group received eight 120-minute MBCT sessions, while the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Outcomes were assessed using the 48-item Perceptions and Lived Experience of Patients with Migraine Questionnaire, which measures six dimensions: painful and unpredictable bodily experience, sensory sensitivity and vulnerability to stimuli, psychological distress and emotional exhaustion, cognitive dysfunction and disruption of daily functioning, familial, social, and occupational consequences, and coping, adaptation, and reconstruction of the relationship with illness. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of covariance.

Results: After controlling for pretest scores, MBCT significantly improved the overall perceptions and lived experience score, F(1,27)=48.92, p<.001, η²=.64. The multivariate effect across the six dimensions was also significant, Wilks’ Λ=.22, F(6,18)=10.42, p<.001, η²=.78. Significant improvements were observed in all dimensions, with the largest effect for psychological distress and emotional exhaustion (η²=.51), followed by painful and unpredictable bodily experience (η²=.42).

Conclusion: MBCT appears to be an effective complementary psychological intervention for reducing the multidimensional burden of migraine and improving patients’ relationship with pain, bodily sensations, emotional distress, daily functioning, and coping. These findings support integrating mindfulness-based approaches into multidisciplinary migraine care alongside medical treatment and evaluating patient-centered outcomes beyond headache frequency alone.