Table 1:
Descriptive Characteristics of Included Studies
| Source [Country] | Year | Study type | Risk of bias | Sample size | Mean age | % white | % female | Pain condition | PA Manipulation/Measure | Pain Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold et al [1][Germany] | 2008 | E | W | 120 | 49 | --- | 83 | M | Mood induction procedure using the IAPS; PANAS | Pain intensity via NRS |
| Baird et al [3][US] | 2006 | I | S | 28 | 73 | --- | 100 | O | GIR; mood measured as a subscale of HRQOL | Pain frequency and intensity via NRS |
| Basler et al [5][Germany] | 1997 | I | S | 76 | 49 | --- | 76 | B | CBT | Pain intensity and pain control via NRS |
| Baxter et al [6][New Zealand] | 2012 | I | M | 8 | 55 | --- | 50 | B | Character strengths & gratitude intervention; DESP; OHQSF | Pain intensity via VAS |
| Behrouz et al [7][Iran] | 2017 | I | M | 55 | 74 | --- | 71 | M | Humor therapy | Pain intensity via BPI (Modified German Version) |
| Carson et al[10] [US] | 2005 | I | M | 43 | 51 | 63 | 61 | B | Loving-kindness meditation | Pain intensity and pain rating index via MPQ; Usual and worst pain via BPI |
| Connelly et al [17][US] | 2007 | A | W | 94 | 56 | 91 | 72 | R | PANAS | Pain intensity via VAS |
| Davis & Zautra[20] [US] | 2013 | I | M | 79 | 46 | 83 | 98 | F | MB intervention targeting socioemotional regulation; PANAS | Daily pain intensity and coping via NRS |
| Davis et al [19][US] | 2014 | E | M | 110 | 57 | 91 | 100 | M | Positive and neutral mood induction; PANAS-X | Clinical pain via NRS |
| Dowd et al[23] [Ireland] | 2015 | I | W | 124 | 44 | --- | 90 | M | MBCT with emphasis on emotional regulation; SLS; MAAS | Pain intensity and interference via BPI |
| Finan et al [27][US] | 2009 | A | W | 260 | 57 | 88–93 | 100 | M | PANAS | Daily average pain via NRS |
| Finan et al[29] [US] | 2013 | A | W | 151 | 61 | 62 | 68 | O | PANAS-X; POMS - Bipolar | Pain severity via WOMAC |
| Fors, & Götestam[30] [Norway] | 2000 | I | M | 58 | 46 | --- | 100 | F | GI | Pain intensity via VAS |
| Garland et al[34] [US] | 2014 | I | S | 115 | 48 | 65 | 68 | M | MB, CBT | Pain intensity and interference via BPI |
| Garland et al [32][US] | 2017 | I | W | 55 | 49 | 75 | 62 | M | MB, CBT | Pain intensity via NRS |
| Gruszczynska et al[36] [Poland] | 2015 | A | W | 95 | 51 | --- | 100 | R | Folkman & Lazarus PA Scale | Daily pain via VAS |
| Guillory et al [37][US] | 2015 | I | M | 68 | 49 | 63 | 75 | M | Social support text messaging intervention; PAM | Pain intensity and interference via NRS |
| Hausmann et al [41] [US] | 2017 | I | S | 42 | 68 | 57 | 17 | O | PPI; PANAS; SLS | Pain severity and functional difficulty via WOMAC |
| Hausmann et al [39][US] | 2018 | I | S | 360 | 64 | 50 | 24 | O | PPI; International PANAS-SF; SLS | Pain severity and functional difficulty via WOMAC |
| Herrero et al [44][Spain] | 2014 | E | S | 40 | 49 | --- | 100 | F | Virtual reality; Mood state via VAS; Mood intensity via NRS | Pain intensity via NRS |
| Kamping et al [47][Germany] | 2013 | E | S | 32 | 52 | --- | 100 | F | Mood induction procedure using the IAPS | Pain intensity via VAS |
| Kruszewski [52][US] | 2010 | A | W | 143 | 58 | 89 | 100 | M | PANAS | Average daily pain via NRS |
| Litt et al [55][US] | 2004 | A | W | 30 | 36 | 80 | 87 | TMD | PANAS; Circumplex Model of Mood | Pain intensity via NRS |
| McKee [58] [US] | 1981 | E | M | 20 | 36 | 90 | 50 | M | GIR | Pain intensity via NRS |
| Mun et al [61][US] | 2017 | A | W | 220 | 51 | 78 | 87 | R | Shortened PANAS | Overall daily pain intensity via NRS |
| Müller et al[60] [US] | 2016 | I | M | 96 | 59 | 96 | 70 | O | Tailored PPI; PANAS; PWI-A | Pain severity via NRS |
| Peters et al[66] [the Netherlands] | 2017 | I | S | 284 | 49 | --- | 85 | F | Internet-based PPI; Present happiness via NRS; SCS-SF; BMIS | Pain intensity via NRS |
| Pintard [68][US] | 1986 | E | W | 60 | 52 | 77 | 65 | M | Humor induction; HA; POMS; CHS | Present pain intensity and pain rating index MPQ |
| Potter[69] [US] | 1999 | L | W | 285 | 63 | --- | 100 | M | PANAS | Aggregate of average level of pain over last week, |
| Raft et al[73] [US] | 1986 | E | M | 52 | --- | 85 | 60 | M | Pleasant imagery task | Pain intensity via VAS |
| Seebach et al[77] [US] | 2012 | L | W | 141 | 59 | 81 | 58 | B | PANAS | Pain intensity via BPI |
| Shaygan et al[78] [Germany] | 2017 | I | M | 88 | 53 | --- | 67 | M | Visual stimuli (e.g., pictures of loved ones, landscapes); Valence and arousal via SAM | Average pain intensity via NRS |
| Strand et al[81] [Norwary] | 2007 | L | W | 163 | 50 | --- | 79 | M | PANAS | Past week’s average pain via NRS |
| Tse et al[85] [Hong Kong] | 2010 | I | M | 70 | 79 | --- | 54 | M | Humor therapy; SHS; Revised LSI-A | Cantonese VRS |
| Wilkinson[92] [US] | 2003 | E | S | 60 | --- | --- | 75 | M | SHRQ | Current pain rating and location via NRS |
| Willmarth[93][US] | 1998 | E | M | 96 | 45 | --- | 41 | M | Hypnotically-induced positive mood | Sensory, affective and overall global pain ratings via VAS |
| Zautra et al[95] [US] | 2001 | A | W | 175 | 64 | 95 | 100 | M | PANAS | Average past week pain via NRS |
| W | 89 | 44 | --- | 100 | F | MAC | Current pain via NRS, averaged across body parts | |||
| Zautra et al[96] [US] | 2008 | I | S | 144 | 52 | 89 | 68 | R | CBT; MB intervention targeting emotion regulation and adaptation; PANAS | Average daily pain via NRS |
Notes. PA = Positive Affect; US = United States. Study type: A = ambulatory, L = longitudinal; E = experiment, I = intervention. Risk of bias: W = weak; M = moderate; S = strong. Pain conditions: F = fibromyalgia, O = osteoarthritis, R = rheumatoid arthritis, B = back pain, TMD = temporomandibular dysfunction, M = multiple. Measure and intervention abbreviations: BMIS = Brief Mood Introspection Scale; BPI = Brief Pain Inventory; Cantonese VRS = Cantonese Verbal Rating Scale; CBT = Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; CHS = Coping Humor Scale; DESP = Differential Emotions Scale Probe; GI or GIR = Guided Imagery or Guided Imagery Relaxation; HA = Humor Appreciation; HRQOL = Health-related Quality of Life; IAPS = International Affective Picture System; International PANAS-SF = International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form; MAAS = Mindful Attention Awareness Scale; MAC = Mood Adjective Checklist; MB = Mindfulness-based; MBCT = Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy; MPQ = McGill Pain Questionnaire; NRS = Numeric Rating Scale; OHQSF = Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form; PAM = Photographic Affect Measure; PANAS = Positive and Negative Affect Schedule; PANAS-X = Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Expanded Form; POMS = Profile of Mood States; POMS-Bipolar = Profile of Mood States – Bipolar; PPI = Positive Psychology Intervention; PWI-A = Personal Wellbeing Index (Adult version); Revised LSI-A = Revised Life Satisfaction Index – Form A; SAM = Self-assessment Manikin; SCS-SF = Self-compassion Scale Short Form; SF-12 = Short-Form Health Survey; SF-MPQ = Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire; SF-MPQ-2 = Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2; SHRQ = Situational Humor Response Questionnaire; SHS = Subjective Happiness Scale; SLS = Satisfaction with Life Scale; VAS = Visual Analog Scale; WOMAC = Western Ontario MacMaster Universities (Osteo-)Arthritis Index.