None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Around 1 in 5 people have chronic musculoskeletal pain that frequently causes extreme suffering and incapability for individuals and substantial costs for society. People with chronic pain report high levels of pain-related emotional distress, suggesting it is critical to integrate mental wellbeing with chronic pain management. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a mind-body approach developed to help people manage the stress associated with long-term conditions. It promotes self-management via reducing anxiety, leading to improvements in pain intensity and pain self-efficacy. MBSR is typically delivered face-to-face in group sessions. However, in-person interventions restrict access. By offering MBSR online, people from any location can access the course at a reduced cost. The feasibility and acceptability of an online MBSR intervention have not yet been evaluated for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The proposed study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an online MBSR program for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. MBSR training is traditionally delivered via in-person group sessions. However, access to in-person group sessions can be difficult for many reasons, such as disability and poor accessibility, cost, availability, and COVID-19 physical distancing measures. The aim of this research study is to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an online MBSR training program for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Interventions
Participants in the online live facilitated MBSR group (n=16) will receive an 8-week 2.5 hours online group training intervention plus one online half-day workshop. The workshop called “The Day of Mindfulness” will be scheduled between the 6th and 7th week. This will occur over 6 hours and is held in silence, with only the instructor speaking. This “retreat” will provide participants (n=16) with an opportunity to deepen what they learn in class. Participants will be encouraged to practice mindfu
Participants in the online live facilitated MBSR group (n=16) will receive an 8-week 2.5 hours online group training intervention plus one online half-day workshop. The workshop called “The Day of Mindfulness” will be scheduled between the 6th and 7th week. This will occur over 6 hours and is held in silence, with only the instructor speaking. This “retreat” will provide participants (n=16) with an opportunity to deepen what they learn in class. Participants will be encouraged to practice mindfulness daily throughout the 8 weeks. They will be encouraged to aim for a set duration of mindfulness meditation (e.g. 20-45 minutes per day). In addition, participants will receive access to a mobile application called Openground Mindfulness Training with recorded guided meditation practices that they can use throughout the program and a 100-page coursebook. The mobile app and coursebook are readily available resources created by Openground (https://www.openground.com.au/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-mbsr). Participants will also receive ongoing individual support over the phone from the MBSR teacher if necessary. Adherence to the weekly sessions will be noted with an attendance checklist. Adherence to the home mindfulness practice will be monitored with the Mindfulness Adherence Questionnaire collected weekly via the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Any meditation-related adverse effects will also be collected weekly with The Meditation-Related Adverse Effects Scale, Mindfulness-Based Program version (MRAES-MBP) via REDCap. The MBSR program combines mindfulness meditation, body awareness, yoga and exploration of patterns of behaviour, thinking, feeling and action. Mindfulness is defined as nonreactive awareness of the present experience, including body sensations, internal mental states, thoughts, emotions, impulses and memories. Mindfulness meditation is a mind training approach that cultivates cognitive control, emotion regulation and acceptance (i.e., nonreactivity), which leads to reduced stress and increased well-being. During the online MBSR program, participants will meet once a week (2.5 hours) via an online platform to practice mindfulness meditation and body awareness. During this time, participants also interact with their peers (16 participants) in discussions facilitated by a skilled, certified MBSR teacher. Each week the teacher presents the theoretical underpinnings of the mindfulness training and the application of self-regulatory skills and encourages dialogue and reflection on distinct topics as described below. Week 1 - Recognising the present moment - Participants are experientially introduced to mindful eating, mindfulness of breathing and the body scan. The teacher facilitates an inner reflection on their experiences with the meditation practice. Week 2 - Perception and how we make sense of the world - The role of self-responsibility in the positive development of short and long-term changes in health and health-enhancing behaviours is introduced. The teacher facilitates focused reflection concerning the role of perception and conditioning in the appraisal and assessment of stress. Week 3 - Keeping the body in mind - The teacher facilitates inquiry and exploration of participants’ experiences and guides a reflection about pleasant events, focusing on physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts as they arise. Week 4 - Investigating stressful experiences - The teacher facilitates an exploration of mindfulness as a means of reducing the negative effects of stress reactivity and developing more effective ways of responding positively and pro-actively to stressful situations. Week 5 - Finding perspective: working with emotions and thoughts - This session emphasises the capacity of participants to adapt more rapidly and effectively to everyday challenges and stressors. Week 6 - Relationships and kindness - The teacher facilitates a discussion around the continued development of “transformational coping strategies,” attitudes and behaviours that enhance the psychological characteristic known as “stress hardiness” or resilience. Week 7 - Values and action - Participants are asked to purposefully reflect on lifestyle choices that are adaptive and self-nourishing and those that are maladaptive and self-limiting to integrate mindfulness practice more fully and personally into their daily lives. Week 8 - Making mindfulness a part of your life - A review of the program is included with an emphasis on daily strategies for maintaining and deepening the skills developed during the program.
Sponsors
The University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
We will include people that: - Are 18 years or older - Have chronic musculoskeletal pain (any musculoskeletal pain [e.g. neck, shoulder, lower back, hip, knee] for more than 12 weeks) - Are proficient in English (i.e. able to read and understand the Participant Information Sheet, Participant Consent Form and study materials without the need for assistance from a translator) - Are able to access the internet via a computer (laptop or desktop) or via a smartphone.
Exclusion criteria
We will exclude people that: - have self-reported active or uncontrolled mental illness (i.e., severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia that is not managed by a health care professional - psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist) assessed by an experienced clinician during a telephone screening process; - have a history of an unexplored, untreated traumatic experience or adverse childhood events assessed by an experienced clinician during the telephone screening process; - are judged at the investigator’s discretion as being unsuitable to participate.
Outcome results
None listed