For a study, it was determined that pain and pain-related suffering were frequently treated with attentional tactics such as distraction and sensory monitoring. However, there was mixed evidence concerning their effectiveness in chronic pain patients. The researchers provided the outlines of a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of distraction and sensory monitoring in chronic pain patients and methodological and theoretical modifiers. Relevant publications were identified in the scientific literature and classified for methodological quality and several theoretical and methodological moderating variables. Only ten items met the requirements for the search. The researchers were able to compare distraction to a control condition in eight research, sensory monitoring to a control condition in 2 types of research, and the effect of distraction to the effect of sensory monitoring in studies. All in all, distraction had no effect on pain experience (k=8; Hedges’ g=0.10, ns) or distress (k=2; Hedges’ g=0.549) when compared to control. Pain experience (k=2; Hedges’ g=0.21, ns) and distress (k=1; Hedges’ g=-0.191, ns) were also unaffected by sensory monitoring. The researchers found no evidence that distraction or sensory monitoring were more effective than control conditions in reducing pain. The research provided recommendations for future theory-driven research on distraction and sensory monitoring in this relatively unknown, albeit methodologically challenging field.
Link:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735817300272
