Mindfulness-based stress reduction can alleviate cancer- related fatigue: A meta-analysis.
Congyan Xie, B. Dong, Lihong Wang, Xiu-Chen Jing, Yin Wu, Lu Lin, Li Tian
Journal of Psychosomatic Research December 27, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.109916 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3,008 |
| Population | Cancer patients |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based stress reduction significantly reduces cancer-related fatigue, particularly in lung cancer patients. |
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to critically evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
Methods: A systematic search of eight databases (Web of Science, Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Spring link, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM) was performed, to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to January 2019. Using Cochrane Collaboration criteria, two reviewers critically and independently assessed the risk of bias and extracted correlated data using the designed form. All analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.3.
Results: In all, fifteen RCTs were included in the systematic review, fourteen of which, consisting of 3008 patients (MBSR, 1502; control, 1506), were included in the meta-analysis. MBSR had a significant effect on fatigue in cancer patients, particularly among lung cancer patients. The meta-analysis also indicated that MBSR could significantly mitigate CRF compared with usual care or no intervention. 8 weeks of MBSR, supervised by experts, had a large effect on CRF.
Conclusions: MBSR is effective for CRF management and can be recommended as a beneficial complementary therapy for CRF patients.