Mantra Meditation for Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Pain is biopsychosocial in nature, and international guidelines now emphasise interdisciplinary treatment. Psychotherapeutic interventions such as mantra meditation (MM) are being increasingly studied for their potential benefits in pain management.

OBJECTIVES

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence for MM in improving biopsychosocial outcomes in acute and chronic pain conditions.

METHODS

A systematic search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE and Scopus identified controlled clinical trials of MM for acute and chronic pain, with no date limits. Data were synthesised using an inverse-variance random-effects meta-analysis of continuous outcomes with precalculated effect sizes (Hedges' g).

RESULTS

Seven studies (n = 374) met inclusion criteria, with low-to-moderate methodological quality. Meta-analyses showed significant effects of MM versus controls for improving mental quality of life (QoL) and reducing negative mood states. No significant effects were found for pain, physical QoL, depression symptoms, anxiety, stress, psychological well-being or sleep. However, subgroup analysis indicated significant improvement in depression symptoms for participants with chronic pain compared with acute pain.

CONCLUSION

Further high-quality randomised controlled trials are required to determine the efficacy of MM in pain management. Current evidence suggests MM may improve selected psychological outcomes, including mental QoL, negative mood states and depression in chronic pain. These findings indicate that MM has potential as an adjuvant intervention within holistic, interdisciplinary approaches to pain management.