Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Nursing Interventions on Psychological Health, Resilience, and Educational Empowerment in Gynecologic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Wei Lu, Jing Ding, Yujie Zhong
Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education November 23, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-025-02787-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,228 |
| Population | Women with gynecologic cancers |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based nursing interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Gynecologic cancer Nursing education Nursing intervention Patient education Quality of life Integrating mindfulness Psychological health Empowerment Global health Emotional functioning Role functioning Fostering psychological resilience Empowers patients Meta-analysis meta-analysis |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based nursing interventions significantly improved global health status and some quality-of-life domains, but did not significantly reduce anxiety, depression, or fatigue due to high heterogeneity. |
Abstract
To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based nursing interventions (MBNIs) on psychological health outcomes-including depression, anxiety, and quality of life-as well as resilience and educational empowerment among women with gynecologic cancers. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating MBNIs among women with gynecologic cancers were systematically identified through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and additional databases up to August 2025. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed by cancer type, and meta-regression analyses examined moderators such as mean age and marital status. Twelve RCTs including 1,228 participants (IG = 634; CG = 594) were eligible. Mindfulness-based interventions showed a tendency to reduce anxiety (SMD=-4.05; 95%CI - 9.19 to 1.09; I²=99.8%), depression (SMD=-2.68; 95%CI - 5.40 to 0.03; I²=99.4%), and fatigue (SMD=-3.38; 95% CI - 7.37 to 0.61; I²=99.2%), though effects were limited by high heterogeneity. Statistically significant improvements were observed in global health status (SMD = 2.62; 95%CI 0.27 to 4.97; I²=98.4%) and selected QOL domains, particularly role functioning (SMD = 0.29; 95%CI 0.13 to 0.44) and emotional functioning after bias correction (SMD = 2.89; 95%CI 0.22 to 5.57). Meta-regression showed that neither age nor marital status significantly moderated results. Mindfulness-based nursing interventions demonstrate potential not only for reducing psychological distress and improving quality of life among women with gynecologic cancers but also for serving as educational frameworks that strengthen self-regulation, resilience, and patient engagement in care. Integrating mindfulness-based education into oncology nursing practice may enhance both patient empowerment and professional development among healthcare providers. Further rigorous trials are warranted to validate these outcomes and define best practices for educational implementation.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
- Mindfulness, Interoception, and the Body: A Contemporary Perspective Frontiers in Psychology September 13, 2019
- The effectiveness of mindfulness meditation for nurses and nursing students: An integrated literature review. Nurse Education Today June 1, 2018
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression Psychiatric Clinics of North America September 18, 2017