Mindfulness review finds a small quality-of-life benefit in fibromyalgia
Mindfulness-based stress reduction showed a small quality-of-life advantage over active treatments. Pain severity and depression were not significantly better in those comparisons.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Mindfulness-based stress reduction showed a small quality-of-life advantage over active treatments for people with fibromyalgia, alongside improvements in pain catastrophising. Pain severity and depression were not significantly better than with active treatments. Significant effects on pain severity and depression appeared only in short-term comparisons with passive controls.
Evidence certainty ranged from very low to moderate. This abstract-based explanation cannot specify follow-up intervals or individual active comparison treatments; the review included both randomized and nonrandomized trials.
What researchers found
Quality of life: standardized mean difference
Mindfulness versus active treatments at long-term follow-up. This average group difference uses units based on how widely scores vary; the negative sign favors mindfulness.
Outcomes need separate interpretation
Pain catastrophising means thinking about pain in especially negative ways. An improvement in this measure or in quality of life does not establish pain relief. The review found different results depending on the outcome and comparison.
Why control groups matter
The abstract distinguishes comparisons with other active treatments from those with passive controls. Its pain and depression findings changed with that distinction, so positive results against passive controls cannot be assumed to apply against active treatments.
The original publication
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on Pain Severity and Quality of Life in People Living With Fibromyalgia.
Walsh E, Hart K, Forster B
Eur J Pain · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41906320
- Record checked
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