The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Group Counseling on Psychological and Inflammatory Responses of the Women With Breast Cancer
Motahareh Mirmahmoodi, Parvin Mangalian, A. Ahmadi, M. Dehghan
Integrative Cancer Therapies January 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1177/1534735420946819 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA randomized clinical trial tested mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group counseling in women with breast cancer. After an 8-week intervention, the MBSR group showed significantly lower anxiety than the control group. No significant differences were found between groups in perceived stress, depression, or levels of cortisol and C-reactive protein. The authors conclude that MBSR can improve anxiety but not stress, depression, or inflammatory markers in this population.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Women with breast cancer |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Key finding | Mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling significantly reduced anxiety compared to a control group, but did not significantly reduce perceived stress, depression, or levels of cortisol and C-reactive protein. |
Abstract
Introduction: Breast cancer is common among women and reduces their quality of life. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling in alleviating psychological responses such as anxiety, depression, stress, and regulating laboratory tests including cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) in women with breast cancer. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted based on convenience sampling. Participants were divided into 2 groups (control and intervention groups) with block randomization. The intervention group received mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling during 8 weeks. The participants completed the Beck anxiety inventory, Beck-II depression inventory, and perceived stress scale before and after the intervention and their blood samples were taken to check their cortisol and CRP. Results: After the intervention, the MBSR group had significantly lower anxiety compared with the control group (P < .001). No significant difference was found between the 2 groups in the reduction of perceived stress and depression (P < .05). In addition, no significant difference was found between the 2 groups in CRP and cortisol levels after the intervention (P > .05). Conclusion: The present study showed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in improving anxiety rather than the stress, depression, and inflammatory laboratory factors such as cortisol and CRP in women with breast cancer. Therefore, the psychological symptoms of these patients can be improved at different stages of treatment by providing this type of training.