Meditation for the reduction of perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing oncology surgery: A scoping review.
Jennifer R Majumdar, Cidalia J Vital, Justin M O'Leary, Stephen J Yermal, John C Welch
Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing August 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.apjon.2024.100544 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients undergoing surgery for oncology diagnoses |
| Intervention | Loving-kindness meditation |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Integrative medicine Oncology Perioperative |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Guided, mindfulness, and loving-kindness meditation may be helpful in reducing anxiety, particularly in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer during the postoperative period, but the current literature is extremely limited. |
Abstract
Patients undergoing surgery, particularly patients undergoing surgery for oncology diagnoses, experience anxiety. Surgery remains the primary treatment for many common types of cancer. One promising potential intervention to alleviate anxiety in the preoperative and postoperative period is meditation, an integrative medicine intervention. However, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of meditation to alleviate anxiety during the perioperative time period. The scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework to synthesize the study findings and was reported with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The review included EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, and Cochrane Review databases from 2013 through 2024. All identified articles were exported to the online systematic review software, Covidence. A total of 538 initial citations were identified, 415 titles and abstracts were screened, and 83 full-text articles reviewed. Six studies were finally included. The data extracted from the literature included: study purpose, study design, sample size, preoperative or postoperative timeframe, instrument to evaluate anxiety, and conclusions. For patients undergoing oncology surgery, the perioperative period can be filled with anxiety. Guided, mindfulness, and loving-kindness meditation may be helpful in reducing anxiety, particularly in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer during the postoperative period. However, the current literature is extremely limited. Future research should expand on the preliminary effectiveness to broader populations and carefully target the highest-risk populations for the ideal time point for interventions.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review General (healthcare, schools, workplace) | 2021 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology | 2018 | Review | |
| Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Supporting Caregivers During Ambulatory Cancer Surgery: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Reduce Anxiety. Seminars in Oncology Nursing February 19, 2026
- 5-Minute Audio-Guided Mindfulness Meditation Delivered to Patients' Own Devices for Postoperative Anxiety After Ambulatory Cancer Surgery: Nonrandomized Single-Arm Feasibility Study (Preprint)
Cites 7
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Evidence for the Role of Mindfulness in Cancer: Benefits and Techniques. Cureus May 9, 2019
- A Systematic Review: Mindfulness Intervention for Cancer-Related Pain. Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing April 1, 2019
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Stress Management Intervention for Cancer Care Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine April 1, 2017
and 2 more in the library