Experience of compassion-based practice in mindfulness for health for individuals with persistent pain.

People with persistent pain may find compassion-based meditation practices challenging as well as beneficial. In interviews with eight participants who completed the Mindfulness for Health program, five key themes emerged: turning away from the painful self, experiencing the painful self as shameful, facilitating change, turning toward the painful self, and accepting the self. Participants reported both positive changes and difficult emotional experiences linked to compassion in their past and present lives. Developing compassion is a valuable but sometimes difficult part of the program; mindfulness skills, group support, and modeling compassion help overcome personal barriers.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: 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. Method and Design: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.