Objectives

This research examined whether brief sessions of mindfulness meditation (MM) or self-hypnosis (HYP) produce changes in cold pressor task (CPT) outcomes and whether outcome improvement, when it occurs, is mediated by attentional processes (i.e., pain focus, mindful observing) or pain appraisals (i.e., threat, challenge).

Methods

Healthy adults (N = 201) were randomly assigned to 20-min sessions of MM, HYP, or an attention Control. Participants completed assessments of potential mediators before the first CPT and after experimental intervention, but before a second CPT.

Results

HYP and MM participants reported greater reductions in CPT pain intensity than Control participants, and CPT unpleasantness was reduced in HYP compared to Control. Neither MM nor HYP resulted in significant changes in pain focus or mindful observing, and these scales were not associated with CPT outcomes. However, threat appraisals were reduced in HYP versus Control, and threat appraisal reductions were associated with increased pain tolerance. Challenge appraisal increased in both HYP versus Control and HYP versus MM, and challenge increases were associated with reductions in CPT unpleasantness. Challenge changes were a significant mediator of unpleasantness changes when HYP was compared to MM (p = .042); this mediation effect was non-significant for HYP compared to Control (p = .059).

Conclusions

The findings indicate single sessions of HYP and MM produce changes in CPT outcomes. HYP also influenced threat and challenge appraisals, which were associated with CPT outcome changes, and challenge appraisals emerged as a potential mechanism of HYP. Further research is needed to identify mediating mechanisms for these two pain management approaches.

中文翻译：

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正念冥想与自我催眠与注意力控制对冷压结果的影响及其机制的实验研究

目标

这项研究检查了短时的正念冥想（MM）或自我催眠（HYP）是否会产生冷压任务（CPT）结局的变化，以及结局改善（如果发生）是否由注意过程（例如，专注于疼痛，正念观察）或疼痛评估（即威胁，挑战）。

方法

健康的成年人（N = 201）被随机分配到MM，HYP或注意对照的20分钟疗程中。参与者在第一次CPT之前和实验干预之后但在第二次CPT之前完成了对潜在介体的评估。

结果

与对照组相比，HYP和MM参与者报告的CPT疼痛强度降低幅度更大，并且在HYP中CPT不适感有所减轻。MM和HYP均未导致疼痛重点或正念观察的显着变化，并且这些量表与CPT结局无关。但是，与对照相比，HYP中的威胁评估减少了，而威胁评估的减少与疼痛耐受性的提高有关。HYP与对照组以及HYP与MM的挑战评估都增加了，挑战的增加与CPT不适感的减少有关。当将HYP与MM进行比较时，挑战性变化是不愉快性变化的重要媒介（p = .042）；与对照组相比，这种调解作用对HYP的影响不显着（p = .059）。

结论

研究结果表明，HYP和MM的单次治疗会改变CPT结局。HYP还影响了与CPT结果变化相关的威胁和挑战评估，挑战评估已成为HYP的潜在机制。需要进一步的研究来确定这两种疼痛管理方法的中介机制。