Gray Callum, Jones Fergal, Agostinis Alessio, Morris Julia
Pain Service, Health and Social Services, St Helier, Jersey.
Canterbury Christ Church University, Tunbridge Wells, UK.
Br J Pain. 2024 Aug;18(4):337-353. doi: 10.1177/20494637241232555. Epub 2024 Feb 23.
Research indicates that acquiring compassion is an integral part to positive outcomes to Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), yet there is both theoretic and empirical literature suggesting that people with persistent pain are more likely to experience challenges and distress when engaging compassion-based practices. Mindfulness for Health is a standardised MBI for people with persistent pain and health conditions. This study sought to explore the positive, neutral and difficult experiences of compassion-based practice and meditation for participants in Mindfulness for Health to further understand implications and risks for participants of MBI's.
A qualitative design using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied to explore how participants understood of the experience of compassion-based practice and the meaning they gave to it. Eight participants who had completed the Mindfulness for Health from four separate groups were interviewed about their experience.
Five master themes were identified 'turning away from self-with-pain', 'self-with-pain experienced as shameful', 'facilitating change', 'turning towards self-with-pain', and 'accepting self'. Participants identified both perceived positive changes and difficult emotional experiences during the meditation practice, which they related to the context of compassion in their past and present life.
Developing compassion is an important part of Mindfulness for Health, which is salient for participants as both a challenging and potentially valuable experience. Acquisition of mindfulness skills, supporting group dynamics and modelling compassion are understood as helpful in overcoming personal barriers and challenging experiences. Further research is needed to understand processes involved and explore the experience of non-completers.
研究表明，培养慈悲心是正念减压疗法（MBI）取得积极效果的一个重要组成部分，但理论和实证文献均表明，患有持续性疼痛的人在进行基于慈悲心的练习时，更有可能经历挑战和痛苦。“健康正念”是一种针对患有持续性疼痛和健康问题人群的标准化正念减压疗法。本研究旨在探索“健康正念”参与者在基于慈悲心的练习和冥想中的积极、中性和困难经历，以进一步了解正念减压疗法对参与者的影响和风险。
采用解释现象学分析的质性设计，以探究参与者如何理解基于慈悲心的练习体验以及他们赋予其的意义。对来自四个不同小组且已完成“健康正念”课程的八名参与者进行了访谈，了解他们的体验。
确定了五个主要主题，即“远离带着疼痛的自我”、“带着疼痛的自我被视为羞耻”、“促进改变”、“转向带着疼痛的自我”和“接纳自我”。参与者指出，在冥想练习过程中既有积极的变化，也有困难的情绪体验，他们将这些与过去和现在生活中的慈悲心背景联系起来。
培养慈悲心是“健康正念”的一个重要部分，对参与者来说，这既是一种具有挑战性的体验，也是一种潜在的宝贵体验。获得正念技能、支持小组互动以及树立慈悲心榜样被认为有助于克服个人障碍和应对具有挑战性的经历。需要进一步研究以了解其中涉及的过程，并探索未完成者的体验。
