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Flow Meditation Improves Emotion Regulation and Pain Management in Female Fibromyalgia Patients

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Abstract

Objectives

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a multifaceted psychosomatic pain condition associated with psychiatric comorbidity such as depression, anxiety, emotional stress, and coping problems. Negative cognitions and difficulties in emotional regulation can increase and amplify pain. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a second-generation mindfulness-based intervention known as Flow Meditation (Meditación-Fluir) on different variables (i.e., catastrophizing, coping strategies, and emotional intelligence) related to emotion regulation and pain management in individuals with FMS.

Methods

Forty-four women diagnosed with fibromyalgia were randomly allocated to a 7-week Flow Meditation group intervention (intervention group; n = 22) or waiting-list control group (n = 22). Measures were taken at three different times: pretest, post-test, and 3-month follow-up.

Results

Findings revealed significant improvements in pain catastrophizing (rumination, magnification, and helplessness), adaptive coping strategies (active versus passive), and emotional intelligence, which were maintained until the 3-month follow-up assessment. Effect sizes range from moderate to high, most notably for the Rumination and Despair components of pain catastrophizing, and for emotional intelligence.

Conclusions

Flow Meditation shows promise for alleviating negative distorted thinking and improving adaptive coping as part of pain management in female fibromyalgia patients.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the Fibromyalgia Association of Almeria in Spain (AFIAL) for all the cooperation and support provided in this research Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Relaciones Laborales y Trabajo Social, Department of Social Psychology, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain

    Alberto Amutio

  2. Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago de Chile, Chile

    Alberto Amutio

  3. University of Almería, Almería, Spain

    Clemente Franco & Encarnación Soriano-Ayala

  4. William Van Gordon, University of Derby, Derby, UK

    William Van Gordon

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  1. Alberto Amutio
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  2. Clemente Franco
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  4. William Van Gordon
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Contributions

AA: wrote the paper. CF: designed and executed the study and wrote part of the results. ESA: analyzed the data and wrote part of the results. WVG: collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

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Correspondence to Alberto Amutio.

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Ethics Approval

The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the University of Almería in Spain (Registration number: UALBIO2019/001). The registered data for each of the instruments was alphanumerically coded, ensuring confidentiality and anonymity, in order to comply with the Personal Data Protection Act by the Ethics Committee for Research related to Human Beings. International guidelines for studies with human subjects described in the Nuremberg Code and in the Declaration of Helsinki were applied.

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Individual informed consent was obtained from all study participants.

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Amutio, A., Franco, C., Soriano-Ayala, E. et al. Flow Meditation Improves Emotion Regulation and Pain Management in Female Fibromyalgia Patients. Mindfulness 13, 2587–2599 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01981-w

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