Mindfulness practice time and quality in veterans with chronic pain

Mindfulness interventions are associated with improvements in multiple areas of health, including chronic pain functioning, but little is known about how these improvements are best achieved in clinical settings.

The present study examined clinical outcomes in a structured mindfulness training protocol in a sample of 112 veterans with chronic pain. Mindfulness practice time and quality, as well as pain- and health-related outcome measures were collected at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months. Multilevel models were used to examine changes in outcomes from baseline to 2 months.

Practice time and quality improved over the course of treatment. Self-reported well-being and health satisfaction also improved over time, although pain acceptance and pain interference did not. Those reporting steeper increases in practice quality over time reported greater improvements in quality of life. No associations were observed between practice quality and other outcomes nor between practice time and outcomes.

Results support a potential role of practice quality in producing improvements in quality of life among veterans with chronic pain. In contrast, practice time was not linked with outcomes. Future randomized trials comparing this protocol to a control group are warranted to further elucidate clinical effects and mechanisms and to clarify the roles of practice time and practice quality within this population.