Nicola Hodren1, Tristan Williamson1, Alice Shires1
1 University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
Abstract
Objectives: Contemporary models of chronic pain identify fear of pain and catastrophic thinking about pain as perpetuating pain severity and psychological suffering of individuals with chronic pain. Research has identified mindfulness-based interventions as an avenue to address these psychological processes, but they are often time-intensive. This study aimed to further investigate the brief Mindfulness-based Interoceptive Exposure Task (MIET) for individuals with chronic pain taught in an online format.
Method: Forty-four participants with chronic pain were allocated to the treatment or waitlist group. The intervention involved two online meetings and a period of self-implemented MIET practice. The MIET involves focusing on four characteristics of pain (mass, temperature, motion, and cohesiveness) while remaining equanimous for 30 s. Questionnaires were completed at baseline (after randomisation), 2 weeks, and 6 weeks.
Results: Mixed-effects models revealed no significant changes in pain or psychological distress outcomes after two weeks of self-implemented practice. However, significantly greater improvements in pain interference (p = 0.03), pain self-efficacy (p = 0.01), stress (p = 0.004), and equanimity (p = 0.003) were observed in the treatment group compared to the waitlist group after 6 weeks. Changes in pain catastrophising in the treatment group compared to the waitlist group approached statistical significance (p = 0.051) after 6 weeks.
Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest that self-implemented MIET may support longer-term improvements in pain interference, stress, pain self-efficacy, and equanimity when delivered online. While the MIET shows promise as a low-intensity tool for chronic pain management, larger randomised trials are needed to more definitively establish its efficacy.
Preregistration
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12619000260123p
Hodren, N., Williamson, T. & Shires, A. Effectiveness of the Brief Self-Implemented Mindfulness-Based Interoceptive Exposure Task Taught Online in a Mixed Chronic Pain Group. Mindfulness (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02712-7