Among 204 U.S. undergraduates, mindfulness relates to lower stress through two distinct facets of decentering: cognitive defusion and self-as-context. Cognitive defusion alone mediated the link between mindfulness and stress. Additionally, mindfulness influenced stress through a sequential pathway: first increasing self-as-context, which then increased cognitive defusion. These findings suggest that mindfulness may aid stress coping by fostering both cognitive defusion and self-as-context awareness.
An 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) reduced anxiety and improved functional recovery in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. In a prospective controlled study, 100 patients were assigned to MBI or standard care. The MBI group showed significantly greater reductions in anxiety and improvements in functional outcomes at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. Adherence was high (84% completed ≥6 sessions), satisfaction averaged 8.9/10, and no adverse events occurred. A moderate negative correlation between anxiety and function at follow-up (r = –0.52) suggests a dual benefit. The authors argue that structured psychosocial interventions are feasible and clinically beneficial in this population.