Differential Effects of Two Mindfulness Strategies on Pain and Distress

Prior research has shown that training in mindfulness may lead to outcomes relevant to positive emotional and physiological health. Despite growing evidence for pain and stress modulation, previous research has primarily investigated the effects of generalized mindfulness practices in chronic pain populations. Considering the high prevalence of distress and pain among acute pain sufferers (e.g., surgery, childbirth), there is a need to explore more specific mindfulness techniques in non-clinical populations. The primary goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of the mindfulness strategies of attention and acceptance as approaches to acute pain and distress management. One-hundred and five participants completed the cold pressor task (CPT) after being randomized to one of four intervention conditions: mindfulness-based attention, mindfulness-based acceptance, guided visual imagery (i.e., distraction), or control. The primary outcome variables investigated were tolerance time, measured by length of time in the CPT, and subjective ratings of pain and distress during and after the CPT. Planned comparisons revealed the mindfulness-based interventions as having significantly longer tolerance times than the guided visual imagery intervention. Additionally, significantly longer tolerance times were found for participants in the acceptance condition when compared to the attention condition. No significant differences in subjective pain or distress were found between participants with high and low dispositional mindfulness, or among the four experimental conditions. Results of this study support the idea that different forms of mindfulness training can impact sensory experiences in unique ways. Findings lend support to the acceptance approach (compared to the attention approach) as a promising therapeutic avenue in mindfulness-based pain management.