Client/Patient
Participants' beliefs surrounding Mindfulness-Based Intervention principles, such as openness and curiosity, influence their willingness to try and engage in the interventions.
Barriers
Individuals may be less likely to participate in Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) if they have negative views of the interventions, low expectations of intervention efficacy, avoidant coping styles, concerns that their pain symptoms would hinder their participation, or that their pain and mood symptoms would worsen as a result of their participation in the MBIs.
Potential MBI participants may have incomplete or inaccurate information about MBIs, including a misunderstanding of the purpose of MBIs (e.g., inaccurate perception that they are for people whose pain is “all in their head”). Further, MBI practices like body scans or meditation practices can be mentally challenging and bring attention to painful areas of one’s body.
Facilitators
Participants who report struggling with the complexity of mindfulness skills report overcoming this barrier by making meditation part of their routine and consistently practicing mindfulness techniques.
Individuals may be more receptive to mindfulness-based approaches to pain management when they prefer holistic approaches to their healthcare, have a flexible style of thinking about their pain, have positive views and expectations of MBI benefits, and have functional, values-based goals.