Long-term effects of mindfulness-based psychological intervention for coping with pain in endometriosis: A six-year follow-up on a pilot study

Karina Ejgaard Hansen*, Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel, Mette Kold, Axel Forman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperJournal articleResearchpeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)
864 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective: Development of chronic pain problems in endometriosis is frequent. Until now there has been no alternative treatment offered when medical and surgical treatment has been unhelpful in relieving the pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of a mindfulness-based psychological intervention on chronic pain and quality of life in endometriosis when conducting a six-year follow-up on a pilot study. Materials and methods: In the original study, participants were recruited through Aarhus University Hospital and included ten women with diagnosed endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. The women participated in 10 sessions of mindfulness-based psychological intervention. When contacted after 6 years all ten women agreed to participate in the follow-up study. Quality of life was measured by the endometriosis specific questionnaire EHP-30 and the generic form SF-36. Results: When comparing data from the 12 months follow-up with data from the six year follow-up, results showed no significant differences in mean scores on all scales of the EHP-30 and almost all scales of the SF-36 scale scores. The results indicate lasting improvement on almost all scales of the EHP-30 and the SF-36. Conclusion: Although conclusions remain preliminary until tested in a randomized controlled trial, results presented in this article indicate that mindfulness-based psychological treatment of chronic pain seems very relevant to women with endometriosis with the potential to improve quality of life.

Original languageEnglish
JournalNordic Psychology
Volume69
Issue2
Pages (from-to)100-109
Number of pages10
ISSN1901-2276
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • chronic pain
  • endometriosis
  • mindfulness
  • psychological intervention
  • quality of life

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