Abstract
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex and poorly understood psychosomatic pain disorder. The illness has been the subject of controversy, both in terms of the alleged lack of interest and capability of the medical community to understand and support patients with FMS, and the burden that such individuals place upon economic and healthcare resources. Due to the lack of convincing data for the effectiveness of extant pharmacological and non-pharmacological FMS treatments, a recent direction in FMS research has been the empirical investigation of mindfulness and other meditation-based approaches. The present qualitative study explored whether following participation in a mindfulness-based intervention, patients with FMS report experiencing changes in (i) how they experience and relate to their illness and (ii) their attitudes towards societal participation, work and unemployment. Ten individuals with FMS were randomly selected from the intervention arm of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention known as Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) for the treatment of FMS. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a robust and rigorous qualitative methodology for analysing subjective experiences. Five super-ordinate themes emerged from the dataset: (i) reservations about participating, (ii) improvements in psychosomatic well-being, (iii) spiritual growth, (iv) awareness of impermanence and (v) increased sense of citizenship. MAT was experienced as both an acceptable and accessible intervention by individuals with FMS, and participants reported experiencing improvements in psychosocial functioning as well as an increased sense of societal responsibility. MAT appears to have utility for treating FMS and for changing the attitudes of some individuals with FMS towards community engagement and societal contribution.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2010). American Psychiatric Association practice guideline for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder (3rd ed.). Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Branco, J. C., Bannwarth, B., Failde, I., Abello Carbonell, J., Blotman, F., Spaeth, M., … Matucci-Cerinic, M. (2010). Prevalence of fibromyalgia: a survey in five European countries. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, 39, 448–55.
Britton, W. B., Haynes, P. L., Fridel, K. W., & Bootzin, R. R. (2012). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves polysomnographic and subjective sleep profiles in antidepressant users with sleep complaints. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 81, 296–304.
Canzonieri, A. M., Pollak, D. F., Oliveira, P. J., Costa, M. E., & Natour, J. (2013). Evaluation of socio-demographic variables, psychiatric comorbidity, and pain in fibromyalgia patients. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 71, 756.
Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2011). Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: a systematic review of the evidence. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17, 83–93.
Cramer, H., Haller, H., Lauche, R., & Dobos, G. (2012). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for low back pain. A systematic review. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12, 162.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
Davis, M. C., & Zautra, A. J. (2013). An online mindfulness intervention targeting socioemotional regulation in fibromyalgia: results of a randomized controlled trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46, 273–284.
Dennis, N. L., Larkin, M., & Derbyshire, S. W. G. (2013). 'A giant mess'—making sense of complexity in the accounts of people with fibromyalgia. British Journal of Health Psychology, 18, 763–781.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing compassion-focused therapy. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 15, 199–208.
Hamill, R., Carson, S., & Dorahy, M. (2010). Experiences of psychosocial adjustment within 18 months of amputation: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation, 32, 729–740.
Häuser, W., Wolfe, F., Tölle, T., Üçeyler, N., & Sommer, C. (2012). The role of antidepressants in the management of fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CNS Drugs, 26, 297–307.
Henke, M., & Chur-Hansen, A. (2014). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based programs on physical symptoms and psychological distress in patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review. International Journal of Wellbeing, 4, 28–45.
Hickie, I., Pols, R. G., Koschera, A., & Davenport, T. (2004). Why are somatoform disorders so poorly recognized and treated? In G. Andrews & S. Henderson (Eds.), Unmet need in psychiatry: problems, resources, responses (pp. 309–323). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hughes, G., Martinez, C., Myon, E., Taïeb, C., & Wessely, S. (2005). The impact of a diagnosis of fibromyalgia on health care resource use by primary care patients in the UK: an observational study based on clinical practice. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 54, 177–183.
Hutcherson, C. A., Seppala, E. M., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8, 720–724.
Jones, K. D., Sherman, C. A., Mist, S. D., Carson, J. W., Bennett, R. M., & Li, F. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of 8-form Tai chi improves symptoms and functional mobility in fibromyalgia patients. Clinical Rheumatology, 31, 1205–1214.
Langhorst, J., Klose, P., Dobos, G. J., Bernardy, K., & Häuser, W. (2013). Efficacy and safety of meditative movement therapies in fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Rheumatology International, 33, 193–207.
Lauche, R., Cramer, H., Dobos, G., Langhorst, J., & Schmidt, S. (2013). A systematic review and meta-analysis of mindfulness-based stress reduction for the fibromyalgia syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 75, 500–510.
Leiberg, S., Klimecki, O., & Singer, T. (2011). Short-term compassion training increases prosocial behavior in a newly developed prosocial game. PLoS ONE, 6(3), e17798.
Mackenzie, M. J., Carlson, L. E., Munoz, M., & Speca, M. (2007). A qualitative study of self-perceived effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in a psychosocial oncology setting. Stress and Health, 23, 59–69.
Moreira-Almeida, A., & Koenig, H. G. (2008). Religiousness and spirituality in fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 12, 327–332.
Morone, N. E., Lynch, C. S., Greco, C. M., Tindle, H. A., & Weiner, D. K. (2008). “I felt like a new person.” the effects of mindfulness meditation on older adults with chronic pain: qualitative narrative analysis of diary entries. The Journal of Pain, 9, 841–848.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). (2009). Depression: management of depression in primary and secondary care. London: Author.
Nüesch, E., Häuser, W., Bernardy, K., Barth, J., & Jüni, P. (2013). Comparative efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in fibromyalgia syndrome: network meta-analysis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 72, 955–962.
Peterson, E. L. (2007). Fibromyalgia—management of a misunderstood disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 19, 341–348.
Rimes, K. A., & Wingrove, J. (2013). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for people with chronic fatigue syndrome still experiencing excessive fatigue after cognitive behaviour therapy: a pilot randomized study. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 20, 107–117.
Roth, B., & Stanley, T. W. (2002). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and healthcare utilization in the inner city: preliminary findings. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 8, 60–66.
Sahdra, B. K., Shaver, P. R., & Brown, K. W. (2010). A scale to measure non-attachment: a Buddhist complement to western research on attachment and adaptive functioning. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92, 116–127.
Sahdra, B. K., Ciarrochi, J., Parker, P. D., Marshall, S., & Heaven, P. (2015). Empathy and nonattachment independently predict peer nominations of prosocial behavior of adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 263.
Sandelowski, M., & Barroso, J. (2002). Reading qualitative studies. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1, 74–108.
Schaefer, C., Chandran, A., Hufstader, M., Baik, R., McNett, M., Goldenberg, D., … Zlateva, G. (2011). The comparative burden of mild, moderate and severe fibromyalgia: results from a cross-sectional survey in the United States. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 9, 71. DOI: 10.1186/1477-7525-9-71.
Scott, M., & Jones, K. (2014). Mindfulness in a fibromyalgia population. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20, A94–A95.
Shonin, E., & Van Gordon, W. (2015). Managers’ experiences of Meditation Awareness Training. Mindfulness, 4, 899–909.
Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014a). Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) for improved psychological wellbeing: a qualitative examination of participant experiences. Journal of Religion and Health, 53, 849–863.
Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014b). The emerging role of Buddhism in clinical psychology: toward effective integration. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6, 123–137.
Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., Compare, A., Zangeneh, M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). Buddhist-derived loving-kindness and compassion meditation for the treatment of psychopathology: a systematic review. Mindfulness, 6, 1161–1180.
Sicras-Mainar, A., Rejas, J., Navarro, R., Blanca, M., Morcillo, A., Larios, R., … Villarroya, C. (2009). Treating patients with fibromyalgia in primary care settings under routine medical practice: a claim database cost and burden of illness study. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 11, R54. DOI:10.1186/ar2673.
Sim, J., & Madden, S. (2008). Illness experience in fibromyalgia syndrome: a metasynthesis of qualitative studies. Social Science & Medicine, 67, 57–67.
Singh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Wahler, R. G., Winton, A. S., & Singh, J. (2008). Mindfulness approaches in cognitive behavior therapy. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 36, 659–666.
Singh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Winton, A. S. W., Karazsia, B. T., & Singh, J. (2014). Mindfulness-Based Positive Behavior Support (MBPBS) for mothers of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: effects on adolescents’ behavior and parental stress. Mindfulness, 5, 646–657.
Smith, J. A. (1995). Semi-structured interviewing and qualitative analysis. In J. A. Smith, R. Harre, & L. Van Langenhove (Eds.), Rethinking methods in psychology (pp. 9–26). London: Sage.
Smith, J. A. (1996). Beyond the divide between cognition and discourse: using interpretative phenomenological analysis in health psychology. Psychology and Health, 11, 261–271.
Smith, J. A. (2004). Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 1, 39–54.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Theory, method and research. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Stange, J. P., Eisner, L. R., Hölzel, B. K., Peckham, A. D., Dougherty, D. D., Rauch, S. … Deckersbach, T. (2011). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder: effects on cognitive functioning. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 17, 410–419.
Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E., Sumich, A., Sundin, E., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) for psychological wellbeing in a sub-clinical sample of university students: a controlled pilot study. Mindfulness, 5, 381–391.
Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E., & Griffiths, M. (2015). Towards a second-generation of mindfulness-based interventions. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 591–591.
Vøllestad, J. (2015). Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions in the treatment of anxiety disorders. In E. Shonin, W. Van Gordon, & M. D. Griffiths (Eds.), Mindfulness and Buddhist-derived approaches in mental health and addiction. Gewerbestrasse: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-22255-4_1.
White, K. P., Nielson, W. R., Harth, M., Ostbye, T., & Speechley, M. (2002). Does the label “fibromyalgia” alter health status, function, and health service utilization? A prospective, within-group comparison in a community cohort of adults with chronic widespread pain. Arthritis Care and Research, 47, 260–265.
Williams, M. J., McManus, F., Muse, K., & Williams, J. M. (2011). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for severe health anxiety (hypochondriasis): an interpretative phenomenological analysis of patients' experiences. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50, 379–397.
Wolfe, F. (2009). Fibromyalgia wars. Journal of Rheumatology, 36, 671–678.
Wolfe, F., Anderson, J., Harkness, D., Bennett, R. M., Caro, X. J., Goldenberg, D. L., … Yunus, M. B. (1997). A prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study of service utilization and costs in fibromyalgia. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 40, 1560–1570.
Wolfe, F., Anderson, J., Harkness, D., Bennett, R. M., Caro, X. J., Goldenberg, D. L., … Yunus, M. B. (1997). Work and disability status of persons with fibromyalgia. The Journal of Rheumatology, 24, 1171–1178.
Wolfe, F., Brähler, E., Hinz, A., & Häuser, W. (2013). Fibromyalgia prevalence, somatic symptom reporting, and the dimensionality of polysymptomatic distress: results from a survey of the general population. Arthritis Care and Research, 65, 777–785.
Yardley, L. (2000). Dilemmas in qualitative health research. Psychology and Health, 15, 215–228.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E. & Griffiths, M.D. Meditation Awareness Training for Individuals with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Participants’ Experiences. Mindfulness 7, 409–419 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0458-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0458-8