Mindful attention is inversely associated with pain via mediation by psychological distress in orthopedic patients.
Pain Med
; 25(1): 63-70, 2024 Jan 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37643631
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Orthopedic patients report pain as their main symptom complaint. Subjective pain experience is correlated with self-reported psychological state, such as distress.PURPOSE:
This study tests whether scores from a measure of mindful attention are associated with subjective pain levels and whether psychological distress scores function as a mediation path.METHODS:
During routine visits to a single orthopedic clinic in East Los Angeles, California, 525 patients were recruited to participate in the study. Participants reported on measures of pain (Universal Pain Assessment Tool [UPAT]), mindful attention (Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ]), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale [DASS]). We used Pearson correlations to examine relationships between FFMQ and UPAT scores and mediation analyses to test indirect effects of DASS scores as a mediation path.RESULTS:
The average age of the sample was 54 years (range 18-98 years), 61% were male, and 64% were non-Hispanic White individuals. The locations of injury were the shoulder (72%), elbow (21%), and clavicle or wrist (7%). Ninety-one percent reported mild or greater pain in the prior 2 weeks (mean = 4.2 ± 2.5, range 0-10), and 49% reported mild or more severe distress symptoms (DASS 13.0 ± 11.5). FFMQ scores inversely predicted UPAT scores (ß = -0.22, P < .01), mediated through DASS scores. DASS subscale scores for depression (ß = -0.10, P = .02) and stress (ß = -0.08, P = .04) but not anxiety (ß = -0.03, P = .33) produced significant indirect effects. FFMQ acting-with-awareness and non-judging subscales had the largest effect on depression and stress DASS subscale scores.CONCLUSIONS:
We find statistical support to suggest that distress-particularly depressed mood and stress-mediates the association between mindful attention and pain intensity among orthopedic patients. A disposition of mindful attention might counter distress ailments that exacerbate subjective pain, and this has possible implications for mindfulness training interventions offered to orthopedic patients.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Mindfulness
/
Psychological Distress
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Pain Med
Journal subject:
NEUROLOGIA
/
PSICOFISIOLOGIA
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States