About Distress in Chronic Pain Conditions: A Pre–Post Study on the Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Fibromyalgia and Low Back Pain Patients

Rebecca Ciacchini (), Ciro Conversano, Graziella Orrù, Francesca Scafuto, Silvia Sabbatini, Mery Paroli, Mario Miniati, Alessio Matiz, Angelo Gemignani and Cristiano Crescentini
Additional contact information
Rebecca Ciacchini: School of Advanced Studies, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Ciro Conversano: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Graziella Orrù: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Francesca Scafuto: Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Silvia Sabbatini: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Mery Paroli: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Mario Miniati: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Alessio Matiz: Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Angelo Gemignani: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Cristiano Crescentini: Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Chronic pain (CP) affects about 30% of the global population and poses significant challenges to individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. The interactions between physiological, psychological, and social factors are crucial in the onset and development of CP conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention, examining its impact on perceived stress (PSS), depression and anxiety (BDI-II, PGWBI/DEP, SAS, STAI Y), sleep quality (PSQI), and mindfulness abilities (MAAS) in individuals with CP. Participants (N = 89, 84.3% female) underwent one of two diagnoses [fibromyalgia (FM) or low back pain (LBP)] and took part in an MBSR intervention. The mindfulness program proved effective in reducing PSQI scores (F = 11.97; p < 0.01) over time, independently of the type of diagnosis. There was also a marginal increase in trait mindfulness as measured by MAAS (F = 3.25; p = 0.07) in both groups. A significant difference between the two groups was found for the effect on PSS: F (1,87) = 6.46; p < 0.05. Mindfulness practice also reduced anxiety in FM and depressive symptoms in LBP, indicating a reduction in psychological distress among participants. Our findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may offer promising avenues for personalized pain management in clinical settings.

Keywords: stress; mindfulness; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; low back pain; meditation; distress; clinical psychology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/11/1507/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/11/1507/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:11:p:1507-:d:1520152

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().