The effectiveness of mindfulness as a complementary therapy in headache patients: a preliminary interventional study

Secular Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Efficacy and Neurobiology.

The use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programmes has become increasingly common in many healthcare settings over the last decade. However, the use and indications for MBSR in an oncology setting has not been well explicated. This paper provides an overview of the psychosocial challenges of cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery, followed by a description of how MBSR programmes have and may be used with cancer populations, using our programme in Calgary, Canada, as an exemplar. Research investigating the use of MBSR shows significant improvements in mood, decreased stress symptoms, and normalisation of hormonal and immune function. MBSR has also been shown to be effective for decreasing the high levels of sleep disturbance often found in cancer patients. An instrument to measure levels of mindfulness, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), has been developed and validated for use with cancer patients. Issues germane to working with this population such as considerations during patient screening for the MBSR programme and facilitatory training are discussed. Finally, the use of research designs such as dismantling studies and qualitative methods are considered.

Research suggests that an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program (a structured form of meditation) might be effective in the treatment of various health problems including chronic pain. Our objective was to compare the clinical effectiveness of the MBSR program with a multidisciplinary pain intervention (MPI) program in terms of pain intensity, pain-related distress, quality of life, and mood in patients with chronic pain. A randomized, comparative clinical trial was conducted, including 6-month posttreatment follow-up. Ninety-nine participants, aged 24 to 64 years, with pain for a minimum of 3 months, were recruited from community-based clinics, hospitals, and community service centers. Participants were randomly allocated to either the MBSR program (51 participants) or a MPI program (48 participants). The study used validated Chinese versions of self-reported questionnaires measuring pain, mood symptoms, and health-related quality of life. Thirty-nine participants (77%) completed the MBSR program and 44 (90%) completed the MPI program. Patients in both the groups were comparable with regard to demographical characteristics, pain intensity, mood symptoms, and health-related quality-of-life measures before intervention. In both the groups, patients who completed the trial demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pain intensity and pain-related distress. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in overall results between the MBSR and MPI groups. This randomized, clinical trial showed that both MBSR and MPI programs reduced pain intensity and pain-related distress although no statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups and the improvements were small.

Virtual Mindfulness Therapy for the Management of Endometriosis Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Novel Delivery Platform to Increase Access to Care.

Background: A pilot study of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on a sample of low back pain patients was conducted in order to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention as well as changes in an EEG pattern called thalamocortical dysrhythmia which is associated with chronic pain. Patients and Methods: 22 patients with chronic low back pain participated in an MBSR program. Effect sizes were measured for psychological functioning, pain severity, and quality of life. Furthermore, 4 parameters of the EEG power spectral density were assessed. Results: Medium size effect sizes were found for health-related quality of life (EQ-5D, VAS, d = 0.43, p = 0.02; SF-12, psychological functioning, d = 0.50, p = 0.05), health-related life satisfaction (questions on life satisfaction d = 0.69, p = 0.01), depression (HADS, d = 0.48, p = 0.04, Brief Symptom Inventory d = 0.41, p = 0.04), and affective pain perception (pain perception scale d = 0.50, p = 0.04). The most relevant pain severity measurements improved in the range of d = 0.45-0.75 (p = 0.01-0.24). EEG analyses revealed no differences between the pre- and post-intervention. Conclusion: MBSR is a feasible intervention for patients with low back pain. They benefit from medium size effects which are comparable to similar behavioral interventions. Randomized controlled trials are needed in order to determine the specificity of these benefits.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs have consistently been shown to enhance the psychosocial well-being of participants. Given the well-established association between psychosocial factors and immunologic functioning, it has been hypothesized that enhanced psychosocial well-being among MBSR participants would be associated with corresponding changes in markers of immune activity.ObjectiveTo examine changes in psychosocial and immunologic measures in a heterogeneous patient sample following participation in a MBSR program.DesignA single-group, pre-test post-test design was utilized.SettingThe intervention was conducted at an academic health center.SubjectsThis pilot study involved twenty-four participants (aged 28–72 years). Inclusion criteria were: ≥18 years of age, English-speaking, no known autoimmune disorder.InterventionThe intervention was an 8-week MBSR program.Outcome MeasuresDistress and quality of life (QOL) measures included the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. Immunologic measures included natural killer (NK) cell cytolytic activity and C-reactive protein (CRP).ResultsPatients completed psychosocial assessments and provided a blood sample at baseline (pre-MBSR) and within 2 weeks post-MBSR. Significant improvements in anxiety and overall distress as well as across multiple domains of QOL were observed from baseline to post-MBSR. Reductions in anxiety and overall distress were associated with reductions in CRP. Patients who reported improvement in overall mental well-being also showed increased NK cytolytic activity from pre- to post-MBSR, whereas patients who reported no improvement in mental well-being showed no change in NK cytolytic activity.ConclusionPositive improvement in psychological well-being following MBSR was associated with increased NK cytolytic activity and decreased levels of CRP.

Virtual Mindfulness-Based Therapy for the Management of Endometriosis Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Novel Delivery Platform to Increase Access to Care

ObjectiveThe impact of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on psychological outcomes and quality of life (QoL) in lung cancer patients remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the MBSR program on psychological states and QoL in lung cancer patients.MethodsEligible studies published before November 2021 were systematically searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases. The risk of bias in eligible studies was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Psychological variables and QoL were evaluated as outcomes. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to grade the levels of evidence. Statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 14.0.ResultsA total of 17 studies involving 1,680 patients were included for meta-analysis eventually. MBSR program significantly relieved cancer-related fatigue (standard mean difference [SMD], −1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.69 to −0.82; moderate evidence) and negative psychological states (SMD, −1.35; 95% CI, −1.69 to −1.02; low evidence), enhanced positive psychological states (SMD, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.56–1.27; moderate evidence), and improved quality of sleep (MD, −2.79; 95% CI, −3.03 to −2.56; high evidence). Evidence on MBSR programs' overall treatment effect for QoL revealed a trend toward statistical significance (p = 0.06, low evidence).ConclusionBased on our findings, the MBSR program shows positive effects on psychological states in lung cancer patients. This approach should be recommended as a part of the rehabilitation program for lung cancer patients.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-mwvbq-v1, identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MWVBQ.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of central nervous system affecting young population. Burden of the disease, lifelong confrontation with a complex disease with no cure and the need for continuous care lead to chronic stress in patients and their caregivers. Mindfulness stress reduction, as a novel psycho intervention method, might be helpful in MS patients to reduce this chronic stress. A group of female patients diagnosed with definite MS (According to MC Donald criteria 2010 by a neurologist) were randomized to either an immediate MBSR program (n=12) or waitlist (n=12). The intervention consisted of a weekly MBSR group lasting 2.5 hours for 8 weeks plus a 6 hours retreat. Patients completed questionnaires pre- and post- intervention or waitlist period. Preliminary analysis revealed that there was no significant improvement in physical symptoms and mental health (p>0.05). However, a significant improvement was observed in patients' quality of life (p>0.05). These re-sults provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility and efficacy of MBSR intervention as a novel psychotherapeutic method for improving quality of life in patients with MS.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on emotional reactivity among a sample of breast cancer survivors with chronic neuropathic pain (CNP). Twenty-one women were randomly assigned to a MBSR treatment group (n = 11) or a waitlist control group (n = 10) following medical review. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants were imaged before and after the MBSR program while completing the emotional Stroop task as a measure of emotional reactivity. The treatment group showed significantly less blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) activity post-MBSR across several brain regions involved in pain processing and visual attention. This included regions in the left somatosensory cortex, left precuneus, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Although emotional reactivity was the primary outcome, pain severity and interference from the Brief Pain Inventory were also assessed at both time points. Pain interference was significantly reduced following MBSR for the intervention group only. These preliminary findings show that MBSR training has a marked impact on neural correlates of pain processing and attention, lending support to MBSR as a viable adjunctive treatment option for breast cancer survivors living with CNP. However, further research, with a larger sample size, is warranted.

IntroductionThis study examines the effects of a Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on psychological measures and attentional patterns to pain stimuli, using eye‐tracking methods, in individuals with chronic pain.MethodThirty‐two participants with chronic pain and no prior mindfulness experience were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a waiting list group. Both groups completed self‐report measures of symptoms, well‐being, and an attentional disengagement task using emotional faces as stimuli. Assessments were conducted at two points: before and after the intervention for the experimental group, with the waiting list group serving as a control.ResultsBefore the MBSR program, chronic pain participants exhibited significant attentional biases towards pain‐related stimuli during early attentional stages. Following the program, significant improvements were observed in depression, anxiety, stress, pain acceptance, overall well‐being, and life satisfaction. However, it had a limited impact on attentional patterns, with only a significant increase in gaze duration across all stimuli.DiscussionDespite the MBSR program's success in reducing symptoms associated with chronic pain, the lack of broader attentional improvements raises questions about the mechanisms responsible for psychological improvements.Significance StatementThis study pioneers the use of eye‐tracking to examine how MBSR influences attention in chronic back pain. While the program improved psychological well‐being, it did not generally alter attentional patterns, except for an increased ability to maintain attention across stimuli. We discuss whether this attentional change could be associated with the increased acceptance observed in the MBSR program.

To explore the impact of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on pain severity and endocrine, physical, and psychologic functioning in patients with chronic low-back pain (CLBP). A total of 28 participants were enrolled in the study between January and June 2014; 17 participants were sequentially sampled for an 8-week MBSR program, and 11 were placed on a waitlist control group. Pain severity, quality of life (QOL), global psychologic functioning, and depression were assessed at baseline, at the end of treatment, and 4-5 months post-treatment for both groups. Morning and evening salivary cortisol was assessed at multiple time points in participants in the MBSR group. In comparison with baseline, evening cortisol release showed a significant increase post-treatment. Significant differences between groups were found in pain severity. Medium-to-large effect sizes were found for between-group differences in both pain severity and QOL. The cortisol increase in the MBSR group is a promising finding, in the context of CLBP hypocortisolism. Data show that the effects of the MBSR treatment may take time to surface. However, due to small sample size, decisive interpretation of findings is limited. Nevertheless, the MBSR program may show promise for CLBP and should be an avenue for further investigation through larger clinical trials within healthcare systems.

Efficacy and mechanisms of 4-week MBSR on psychological distress in lung cancer patients: A single-center, single-blind, longitudinal, randomized controlled trial

The present study is a waitlist-controlled investigation of the impact of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on mindful attentiveness, rumination and blood pressure (BP) in women with cancer. Female post-treatment cancer patients were recruited from the MBSR program waitlist. Participants completed self-report measures of mindfulness and rumination and measured casual BP at home before and after the 8-week MBSR program or waiting period. MBSR group participants demonstrated higher levels of mindful attentiveness and decreased ruminative thinking following the intervention but no difference in BP, when compared to controls. In the MBSR group, decreases in rumination correlated with decreases in SBP and increases in mindful attention. When participants were assigned to "Higher BP" and "Lower BP" conditions based on mean BP values at week 1, "Higher BP" participants in the MBSR group (n=19) had lower SBP at week 8 relative to the control group (n=16). A MBSR program may be efficacious in increasing mindful attention and decreasing rumination in women with cancer. Randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate an impact on clinically elevated BP.

ABSTRACTExplorations of mindfulness-based psychotherapeutic approaches are relatively scarce outside of Europe and North America. This study examined the effectiveness and the religio-cultural appropriateness/acceptability of a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme among Muslim citizens of the United Arab Emirates. Emirati college women (N = 12) were enrolled in an eight-week, group-based, MBSR programme. After completing the programme, participants attended a focus group exploring their perceptions of MBSR, with a particular emphasis on exploring the cultural appropriateness of this approach. The MBSR programme was favourably evaluated, and not in any way deemed antithetical towards the participants' own theistic or cultural traditions. The results are discussed with reference to identifying bridging concepts to help better contextualise MBSR for people who spontaneously couch their experiences in religious themes, or who explicitly express a desire for faith-affiliated interventions.