Meditation effect on psychological stress level in women with breast cancer: a systematic review.
Raquel Vilanova Araújo, Ana Fátima Carvalho Fernandes, Inez Sampaio Nery, Elaine Maria Leite Rangel Andrade, Lídya Tolstenko Nogueira, Francisco Honeidy Carvalho Azevedo
Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P 2019 DOI: 10.1590/s1980-220x2018031303529 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Women with breast cancer |
| Interventions | Mindfulness Transcendental Meditation Contemplative Self-Healing Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation significantly reduced psychological stress and related symptoms in women with breast cancer, with some evidence of decreased cortisol and increased telomerase. |
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of meditation on the psychological stress level of women with breast cancer. A systematic literature review performed in the LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. The sample consisted of 22 studies using Mindfulness, Transcendental Meditation, and Contemplative Self-Healing Meditation techniques. There was a significant effect of meditation on stress reduction, post-traumatic stress symptoms, self-reported stress, and chronic stress verified. In some studies, the effect was associated with decreased cortisol and increased telomerase. Meditation has shown positive effects in reducing physical and emotional symptoms such as psychological stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, fear of recurrence and rumination, representing an efficient strategy for coping with the disease and improving quality of life.
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
Cited by 3
- The effect of meditation on exam anxiety of nursing students: a randomized clinical trial. Irish Journal of Medical Science June 1, 2026
- Effect of pranayama and mindfulness meditation on emotional distress and fatigue in adult hematological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy Yoga Mimamsa April 3, 2024
- The efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction vs. standard or usual care in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Translational cancer research November 2022
Cites 18
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Stress and Response to Treatment: Insights From a Pilot Study Using a 4-week Contemplative Self-Healing Meditation Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress in Breast Cancer Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine May 17, 2017
- Mindfulness and its efficacy for psychological and biological responses in women with breast cancer. Cancer Medicine May 2017
- Improvements in emotion regulation following mindfulness meditation: Effects on depressive symptoms and perceived stress in younger breast cancer survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology April 2017
- Randomized controlled pilot trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction compared to psychoeducational support for persistently fatigued breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Supportive Care in Cancer October 2016
and 13 more in the library