Short-term effect of internet-delivered mindfulness-based stress reduction on mental health, self-efficacy, and body image among women with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aim During the COVID-19 pandemic, an Internet-Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (iMBSR) program was delivered and may be better than an in-person approach. Our study evaluated the effects of iMBSR intervention on mental health, self-efficacy, and body image in women with breast cancer in Taiwan. Materials and methods Sixty-seven women with breast cancer were allocated to a 6-week iMBSR ( n = 41) program or a waitlist control group ( n = 26), without heterogeneity between group characteristics. Patients from both groups were measured at baseline and postintervention using three scales: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), General self-efficacy scale, and Body Image Scale. Descriptive dataset analysis, paired t -test, and Student’s t -test were used to evaluate the data.

Results: Although iMBSR did not significantly improve depression and stress between groups, iMBSR could improve anxiety (Δmean: −2.0 vs. −0.4, p = 0.041) with medium effect sizes. Significant benefits were found for body image (Δmean: −3.6 vs. 0.9, p = 0.003) and self-efficacy (Δmean: 4.2 vs. 1.5, p = 0.004), with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.73).

Conclusion: Our preliminary study supports iMBSR as a program that can improve mental health, body image, and self-efficacy in women with breast cancer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals can use Internet-based clinical health education.