A single-blind, randomized, pilot study of a brief mindfulness-based intervention for the endometriosis-related pain management.

Abstract

Women with endometriosis suffer from frequent symptoms despite multiple treatments in tertiary care. Although there is a need for a biopsychosocial perspective on endometriosis treatment, few conservative treatments have been investigated. We aimed to investigate the effects of a brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention (bMBI) in women with deep endometriosis who remain symptomatic despite undergoing conventional medical treatment. A randomized controlled trial was performed with two groups: a standard medical treatment plus bMBI program and only standard medical treatment as a control. A total of 63 eligible participants were randomized to bMBI and control groups. The primary outcome was endometriosis-related pain, and secondary outcomes were quality of life and stress perception post-treatment. Analyses were carried out using multiple regression models. The results show that bMBI significantly improved pain unpleasantness (Cohen's f2 =0.67, NNT=3.2), pelvic pain (Cohen's f2 =0.16, NNT=5.3) and dyschezia (Cohen's f2 =0.23, NNT=2.9) immediately post-treatment and decreased all endometriosis-related pain (Cohen's f2 ranging from 0.20 to 0.60 and NNT ranging from 5 to -9) after the follow-up. We found an extensive positive effect of bMBI on the mental health dimension in the two time point measures (Cohen's f2 =0.34 and 0.25, NNT=3.5 and 2.3) and vitality (Cohen's f2 =0.22, NNT=2.1) after the follow-up. Our study suggests that bMBI is useful for managing endometriosis-related pain and restoring women's psychological well-being. Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention (bMBI) improved endometriosis-related pain and mental health compared to standard medical care. The present findings contribute to the applicability of MBI in visceral pain patients.