Social support and psychological distress among chronic pain patients: the mediating role of mindfulness

Wilson, Jenna M.; Colebaugh, Carin A.; Flowers, K. Mikayla; Meints, Samantha M.; Edwards, Robert R.; Schreiber, Kristin L.

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2022.111551

Cited by 35Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsMusculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationCancer survivorship and care

Social support and psychological distress among chronic pain patients: the mediating role of mindfulness

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Wilson, Jenna M., Colebaugh, Carin A., Flowers, K. Mikayla, Meints, Samantha M., Edwards, Robert R., Schreiber, Kristin L.·2022·Personality and Individual Differences

DOI 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111551PMC PMC8923616

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Abstract

Although an inverse relation between social support and psychological distress among chronic pain patients has been previously reported, little is known about what mediates this association. We examined mindfulness as a mediator of the relationship between social support and psychological distress. In this cross-sectional study, chronic pain patients (N=94) completed assessments of social support, mindfulness, and psychological distress. Greater social support was associated with less psychological distress. Greater mindfulness was associated with greater social support and less psychological distress. Mediation analyses demonstrated that mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between social support and psychological distress. Findings support and extend prior research by demonstrating a potentially important mediating effect of mindfulness within chronic pain patients. This suggests an important link between social support and mindfulness, and that their integration in the pursuit of mental health should be considered in future behavioral interventions.

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Social support improves the mindfulness level of people.
“empirical studies also illuminate that social support improves the mindfulness level of people (Reb et al., 2015; Wilson et al., 2022).”
From The relationship between social support and work engagement of rural teachers: a moderated mediation model (2025) · cites this paper as Wilson et al., 2022
The Discussion reports that greater social support was associated with greater mindfulness among chronic pain patients. But its limitations section explicitly says the observational, cross-sectional study cannot establish causality or the direction of the relationship. It therefore does not show that social support improves mindfulness in people generally. (LLM, conf=0.90)
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Authors: Wilson, J. M., Colebaugh, C. A., Flowers, K. M., Meints, S. M., Edwards, R. R., & Schreiber, K. L.
Affiliations: Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author: Wilson, Jenna M.
ORCID: Wilson, Jenna M.
Colebaugh, Carin A.
Flowers, K. Mikayla
Meints, Samantha M.
Edwards, Robert R.
Schreiber, Kristin L.
Venue: Personality and Individual Differences
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2022-05
Volume: 190
Pages: 111551
ISSN: 0191-8869 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111551
PMC: PMC8923616
OpenAlex: W4210393997
Cited by: 35
References: 22
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4
FWCI: 6.39
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (am, 279 d)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
Locations: Personality and Individual Differences (acceptedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R35 GM128691)
National Institutes of Health
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
Keywords: social support, psychological distress, chronic pain, mindfulness, mediation, mental health, behavioral interventions

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Social support and psychological distress among chronic pain patients: the mediating role of mindfulness

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