The Emerging Role of Mindfulness Meditation as Effective Self-Management Strategy, Part 2: Clinical Implications for Chronic Pain, Substance Misuse, and Insomnia.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy, mechanism, and safety of mindfulness meditation for chronic pain, substance use disorder, tobacco use disorder, and insomnia in service members and veterans.
Results Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduced pain intensity, improved functional status and quality of life (SOR B), and showed efficacy in maintaining smoking abstinence when used adjunctively with pharmacotherapy (SOR B). Future large, well-designed RCTs are needed for more precise guidance.
Population
Service members and veterans with chronic pain, substance use disorder, tobacco use disorder, and insomnia.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mindfulness-based interventions | decrease | pain intensity | - | - | effectively and durably reduce | #1 |
Mindfulness-based interventions | increase | functional status | - | - | improve | #2 |
Mindfulness-based interventions | increase | pain-related psychological consequences | - | - | improve | #3 |
Mindfulness-based interventions | increase | quality of life | - | - | improve | #4 |
Mindfulness-based interventions | increase | health-related quality of life | individuals with substance use disorders interested in self-management strategies | - | can also be utilized as an adjunctive intervention aimed at improving | #5 |
Mindfulness training for smokers used adjunctively with pharmacotherapy | no change | abstinence | smokers | - | shows efficacy in maintaining abstinence comparable to that of the current standard of care | #6 |
Mindfulness-based interventions have been increasingly utilized in the management of chronic pain since 1982. This second review of a two-part series evaluates the efficacy, mechanism, and safety of mindfulness meditation for chronic pain, substance use disorder, tobacco use disorder, and insomnia frequently co-occurring after return from deployment. Standard databases were searched until August 4, 2015. 72 relevant systematic reviews and clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. The Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy was used to assess the quality of individual studies and to rate the strength of recommendation (SOR) for each clinical condition. Mindfulness-based interventions effectively and durably reduce pain intensity, improve functional status, pain-related psychological consequences, quality of life (SOR B). They can also be utilized as an adjunctive intervention aimed at improving health-related quality of life in individuals with substance use disorders interested in self-management strategies (SOR B). Mindfulness training for smokers used adjunctively with pharmacotherapy shows efficacy in maintaining abstinence comparable to that of the current standard of care (SOR B). Future large, well-designed randomized clinical trials using active controls in service members and veterans with co-occurring pain and psychological health conditions are necessary to provide more precise clinical guidance.