Loading...
Research Project
Untitled
Funder
Authors
Publications
Prayer as a pain intervention: protocol of a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Publication . Ferreira-Valente, Maria Alexandra; Jarego, Margarida; Queiroz-Garcia, Inês; Pimenta, Filipa; Costa, Rui Miguel; Day, Melissa A; Pais Brito, José Luis; Jensen, Mark
Background Pain is a universal experience and the most
common reason for seeking healthcare. Inadequate pain
management negatively impacts numerous aspects of
patient health. Multidisciplinary treatment programmes,
including psychosocial interventions, are more useful
for pain management than purely biomedical treatment
alone. Recently, researchers showed increasing interest
in understanding the role of spirituality/religiosity and
spiritual/religious practices on pain experience, with
engagement in religious practices, such as prayer,
showing to positively impact pain experience in religious
individuals. This systematic review will seek to summarise
and integrate the existing findings from randomised
controlled trials assessing the effects of prayer and prayerbased interventions on pain experience.
Methods The systematic review procedures and its report
will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Electronic searches
in nine databases (Web of Science Core Collection,
MEDLINE, SCIELO Citation Index, PubMed, Cochrane
Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trial, PsycINFO,
Scopus, LILACS and Open-SIGLE) will be performed to
identify randomised controlled trials of prayer-based
interventions. Two independent researchers will assess
studies for inclusion and extract data from each paper.
Risk of bias assessment will be assessed independently
by two reviewers based on the Consolidated Standards
of Reporting Trials statement. Qualitative synthesis of
the body of research will be conducted using a narrative
summary synthesis method. Meta-analysis will be limited
to studies reporting on the same primary outcome. Formal
searches are planned to start in June 2021. The final
report is anticipated to be completed by September 2021.
Discussion Findings will be useful to (1) understand the
condition of our knowledge in this field and (2) provide
evidence for prayer effectiveness in reducing pain intensity
and pain-related stress and increasing pain tolerance in
adults experiencing acute or chronic pain.
The meaning making model applied to community-dwelling adults with chronic pain
Publication . Ferreira-Valente, Maria Alexandra; Fontes, Fernando; Pais-Ribeiro, José; Jensen, Mark
Purpose: Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience that is influenced by biological,
psychological, social, and spiritual factors. The Meaning Making Model is a recent cognitive
behavioral model that has been developed to understand how psychosocial factors influence
adjustment to stressful events, such as having a chronic illness. This qualitative study aims to
understand the potential utility of this model for understanding the role of meaning making in
adjustment to chronic pain.
Materials and Methods: Eighteen community-dwelling adults with chronic low back pain
or chronic pain due to osteoarthritis participated in four focus groups. Participants were
asked open-ended questions about their pain experience, pain-related beliefs, meaning of
pain, and the perceived association between pain and their meaning in life and sense of
purpose. Data were submitted to thematic analysis and the identified themes were considered
in light of the Meaning Making Model.
Results: Three overarching themes emerged, each of which included two themes. The first
overarching theme – “appraised meaning of pain” – included the themes “causal attributions”
and “primary appraisals.” The second – “meaning making processes” – included the themes
“assimilation” and “accommodation.” The third – “meanings made” – included the themes
“pain as an opportunity” and “acceptance.”
Conclusion: The key themes that emerged as individuals with chronic pain discussed pain
and its impact are consistent with those that would be hypothesized as important from the
Meaning Making Model, providing preliminary support for the utility of this model in the
context of chronic pain. People with chronic pain appear to appraise pain in terms of its
cause, controllability, threat, loss, or challenge. When a discrepancy between the appraised
meaning of pain and one’s global meaning emerged, participants engaged in meaning making
processes (accommodation and assimilation), resulting in meanings made, such as
a reappraised meaning of pain, perceptions of growth, and acceptance.
Organizational Units
Description
Keywords
Contributors
Funders
Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
OE
Funding Award Number
61508