Online mindfulness as therapy for fibromyalgia patients

Abstract

Introduction

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease. This diagnosis has been controversial in scientific society. However, there is one fact: there are women who feel not only uncontrollable and non-specific body pain, but also psychological symptoms.

Objective

To compare the efficacy of online sessions versus in onsite sessions. To demonstrate that online mindfulness sessions could help to reduce pain in patients with a diagnosis of fibromialgya.

Method

A website created to give education and advice to women with fibromyalgia related to the disease was used as a platform to offer online mindfulness sessions.

Two hundred and thirty-four patients with fibromyalgia asked to participate in the online sessions, but only 13 were included in the study. Nineteen other women received onsite mindfulness sessions. Patients were evaluated before and after intervention. Two analyses were undertaken: intragroup and intergroup.

Results

No differences were found between online mindfulness session and onsite mindfulness session. In both cases, an improvement in the questionnaire scores was demonstrated. Mindfulness as a kind of psychotherapy helped patients to control pain and symptoms of anxiety.

Discussion

The new ICTs offer a huge of possibilities in medicine and mental health. With respect to psychiatry, not only intervention, like psychotherapy, can be offered but also psychoeducation. However, there are factors such as age and educational level that make online intervention difficult.

Conclusion

In the near future, most people will interact with technology and it would be easier to supply online interventions and psychoeducation e-patients already exist, so e-doctors and e-psychiatrists should be online soon.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.