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Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on quality of life in women breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Paulo Gustavo Tenorio Do Amaral, Giuliano Tavares Tosello, Pedro Paulo Silva Filho, Eliana Aguiar Petri Nahas, Daniel de Araujo Brito Buttros

Breast April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2026.104701 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed
Sample size 1,620
Population Women aged ≥18 years at any breast cancer stage who had completed primary treatment, had no psychiatric disorders, and no previous mindfulness experience
Topics Meditation
Keywords Breast cancer Quality of life Survivorship Systematic review
Key findings Mindfulness-based interventions resulted in a small but statistically significant improvement in quality of life compared with standard care (SMD = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.53).

Abstract

Breast cancer survivors frequently experience acute and chronic psychological distress, which negatively affects quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions have emerged as integrative supportive care strategies to improve psychosocial outcomes in this population. To evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness practices compared with standard care in improving quality of life among women surviving breast cancer. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including women aged ≥18 years at any breast cancer stage who had completed primary treatment, had no psychiatric disorders, and no previous mindfulness experience. Twelve RCTs met eligibility criteria, comprising 1620 participants-849 assigned to mindfulness interventions and 771 to standard care. Risk of bias was predominantly low across studies. Mindfulness-based interventions resulted in a small but statistically significant improvement in quality of life (SMD = 0.36; 95 % CI: 0.20 to 0.53). According to the GRADE approach, the certainty of evidence was rated as moderate due to moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 59.9 %) and serious imprecision, although no publication bias was detected. Considerable heterogeneity across interventions and outcomes, the predominance of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) protocols, the limited inclusion of metastatic patients, and potentially attenuated benefits in individuals with early-stage disease may have influenced effect estimates. Mindfulness practices are associated with meaningful improvements in quality of life in breast cancer survivors and, given their accessibility and applicability, may be recommended as part of comprehensive survivorship care.

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

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