USA: In a recent study, the LAMP Randomized Clinical Trial has demonstrated that scalable, low-resource mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) delivered via telehealth can significantly benefit veterans suffering from chronic pain. The multisite trial explored the effectiveness of these virtual MBIs in improving pain-related function and biopsychosocial outcomes, particularly among those with high levels of psychiatric comorbidity.
In their study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the researchers reported that both group-based and self-paced MBIs enhanced pain-related function and biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic pain and significant psychiatric comorbidities. Specifically, the probability of achieving a 30% improvement from baseline was higher for group MBIs at ten weeks and six months, while self-paced MBIs showed greater improvements at ten weeks, six months, and one year.
Chronic pain is a pervasive issue among veterans, often compounded by psychological distress and limited access to traditional therapeutic resources. While mindfulness-based interventions are proven treatments for chronic pain and related conditions, scaling their implementation presents significant challenges, including the need for dedicated space and trained instructors. Considering this, Diana J. Burgess, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and colleagues aimed to examine group and self-paced, scalable, telehealth MBIs for veterans with chronic pain compared to usual care.
For this purpose, the researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial from November 2020 to May 2022 with veterans suffering from moderate to severe chronic pain across three Veterans Affairs facilities. They compared two 8-week telehealth MBIs with usual care. The interventions included a group MBI, delivered via videoconference with prerecorded mindfulness education, skill training videos, facilitated discussions by an experienced instructor, and a self-paced MBI, which was completed asynchronously and supplemented by three individual facilitator calls. Follow-up was completed in August 2023.
The primary outcome measured was pain-related function, assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory interference scale at 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Secondary outcomes examined included pain intensity, physical function, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, participation in social roles and activities, depression, patient ratings of pain improvement, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
The study led to the following findings: Among 811 veterans randomized (mean age, 54.6 years; 47.7% women), 85.6% of participants completed […]
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