Long-Term Outcomes, Moderators, and Predictors in Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for People With Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: A 3-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated that 2 formats of online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT)-group-blended and individual-unguided-effectively reduced psychological distress and improved positive health outcomes in people with cancer and survivors, when compared to care as usual, up to 3 months posttreatment. However, the long-term effectiveness and possible predictors and moderators of treatment outcomes remain unknown.

Objective: This study examined the long-term effects (up to 9 months posttreatment) of group-blended and individual-unguided eMBCTs on psychological distress and other mental health outcomes in people with cancer. Additionally, it explored possible predictors and moderators of treatment effects across the 2 delivery formats.

Methods: The study population consisted of people with cancer who were initially randomized to group-blended or individual-unguided eMBCT within a 3-arm RCT, augmented by those who completed the waitlist condition and were subsequently randomly allocated to one of the eMBCT formats. Both groups were assessed over a 9-month follow-up period. Outcomes completed at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up assessments included psychological distress (primary), fear of cancer recurrence, rumination, fatigue, mindfulness skills, decentering, self-compassion, and well-being. Linear mixed-effects models examined changes over time, while linear mixed-effects models and binary logistic regression analyzed potential predictors and moderators of psychological distress and dropout.

Results: Of the 186 participants enrolled in the 3-arm RCT, 161 participants were randomly assigned to either group-blended or individual-unguided eMBCTs after adding those initially assigned to the waiting condition (group-blended: n=71; individual-unguided: n=90). The majority of participants were female (n=129, 80%), diagnosed with breast cancer (n=78, 48%), and were undergoing or had completed treatment with curative intent (n=124, 77%). The mean age was 52.8 (SD 11.4) years. Both eMBCT formats resulted in significant reductions in psychological distress, fear of cancer recurrence, rumination, and fatigue, alongside improvements in mindfulness skills, decentering, and self-compassion, up to 9 months posttreatment. Higher baseline rumination, as well as lower mindfulness skills and self-compassion at baseline, predicted larger reductions in psychological distress from baseline to the 9-month follow-up period. Additionally, highly distressed participants in the group-blended eMBCT arm were more prone to dropout than those with lower distress scores, whereas psychological distress was not associated with dropout in the individual-unguided format. No other significant moderators were identified.

Conclusions: Group-blended and individual-unguided eMBCTs effectively reduced psychological distress and improved well-being among people with cancer and survivors, with greater benefits for those with fewer psychological resources. However, individuals experiencing higher levels of distress were more likely to discontinue group-blended eMBCT. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual preferences and pragmatic factors in treatment decisions. Larger, fully powered RCTs are needed to confirm these results and provide more definitive guidance on treatment format selection.