A randomized clinical trial tested mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) against a control condition in 38 patients with breast or colorectal cancer who reported fear of cancer recurrence. After the intervention, the MBSR group showed significantly lower scores on most components of the fear of cancer recurrence inventory, including triggers, severity, psychological distress, dysfunction, coping strategies, and reassurance, compared with the control group. No significant difference was found for the insight component. The authors conclude that MBSR is an efficacious intervention to reduce fear of cancer recurrence in these patients.
A quasi-experimental study tested whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C) reduces bullying behavior among grade 3–5 students in Kashan, Iran, during the 2017–2018 school year. Twenty students selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria completed the Illinois Bullying Scale before and after the intervention, with experimental and control groups. Analysis of covariance showed MBCT-C significantly reduced bullying behavior, with an effect size of 0.89. In pretest, both groups most frequently reported excluding others from a group of friends, and mindfulness training had the strongest effect on decreasing this behavior. The authors suggest interventions to reduce bullying may begin with mindfulness training.