MoCHI: An RCT. MBSR for military women's chronic pelvic pain?

In female veterans with chronic pelvic pain (CPP), 31% screened positive for PTSD, significantly lower healthy physical functioning, more medical symptoms, higher number of surgeries for their pelvic pain, and higher number of days in bed because of illness (Levander & Overland, 2015). As of July 2017, 15% women actively serve across the military (https://www.statisticbrain.com/women-in-the-military-statistics/). Women now deploy into combat zones and have higher expectations and responsibilities placed on them than a decade ago. Overall, CPP accounts for 45% reduced productivity (Abercrombie, 2012), with similar numbers expected in active duty women.

Because of the links with pain syndromes and mental health, Levander & Overland (2015) recommended screening for psychiatric disorders in any female veteran with unexplained pain.
Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), an alternative treatment with an emphasis on cultivating a focused, contemplative self-awareness, can help patients grasp the goal of self-regulation for health improvement in positive reappraisal coping (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). MBSR has been increasingly used for its therapeutic efficacy in an assortment of illnesses which are challenging to treat like gynecologic cancers, chronic pain syndromes, depression, anxiety, or PTSD (Brotto, et al., 2012; Brunahl, et al., 2017).

The long-term goal of this research is to identify a non-invasive, easy to learn, alternative method that can successfully assist active duty women with CPP to regulate daily perceptions of their body, improve pain management skills to better cope, and ultimately improve functionality and quality of life (QOL).

Specific Aim #1: To compare the depression of active duty (AD) women with CPP pre-post an 8-week online MBSR program with an 8-week Healthy Lifestyle (HL) nutrition self-paced education.
Hypothesis #1: AD women with CPP in an 8-week MBSR Program will have an overall decreased depression pre-post as compared to the HL control.
Question #1: What is the effect of an online MBSR training program as compared to a HL control pre-post on AD women’s depression scores?
Specific Aim #2: To compare the perception of pain in AD women with CPP pre-post an 8-week online MBSR program with an 8-week HL control.
Hypothesis 2: AD women with CPP in an 8-week MBSR Program will have overall decreased perception of pain pre-post as compared to the HL control.
Question #2: What is the effect of an online MBSR training program as compared to a HL control pre-post on AD women’s perception of pain?
Specific Aim #3: Compare the inflammatory biomarkers and miRNAs changes in AD women with CPP pre-post an 8-week online MBSR program with an 8-week HL control.
Hypothesis #3: AD women with CPP in an 8-week MBSR training program will demonstrate an overall decrease in inflammation as demonstrated by the biomarker changes pre-post.
Question #3: What is the effect of an online MBSR training program as compared to a HL control pre-post on active duty women’s inflammatory biomarkers?