A scoping review on mindfulness-based interventions for families of patients with advanced cancer.
Junko Morishita, Yuka Takita
GHM open June 30, 2025 DOI: 10.35772/ghmo.2024.01015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Families of patients with advanced cancer, often together with the patients themselves |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Caregiver Family nursing Intervention program Mental health |
| Key findings | Across 13 studies, most mindfulness-based interventions for families of patients with advanced cancer recruited family members and patients together, and only one study focused solely on family members. The authors argue that programs targeting families alone are underdeveloped and that future research should address these families' needs and refine program content and evaluation methods from a nursing perspective. |
Abstract
We aimed to conduct a scoping review to investigate mindfulness-based interventions targeting the families of patients with advanced cancer to elucidate the characteristics of the target population, program content, and evaluation methods. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, and relevant studies were identified through searches in the PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. A total of 13 studies were included, with only one focusing solely on family members, while the rest involved both family members and patients. Among the 13 studies, 4 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 10 were pilot studies. The sample sizes varied, with seven studies involving single-group designs, four using two-group designs, one with a three-group design, and one study where no information on group size was provided. The framework and content of the programs were adapted from existing mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques to suit the target context and were evaluated using multiple measures, including assessments of anxiety and depression. Most studies recruited families and patients together, and programs targeting families alone were underdeveloped. Future studies should address the needs and challenges faced by the families of patients with advanced cancer, refining program content and evaluation methods from the perspective of nurses.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2023
- Examining the interrelationships between mindfulness‐based interventions, depression, inflammation, and cancer survival Ca June 16, 2022
- Online Couple-Based Meditation Intervention for Patients with Primary or Metastatic Brain Tumors and their Partners: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of Pain and Symptom Management February 13, 2020
- Consolidation and prediction of long-term treatment effect of group and online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for distressed cancer patients Acta oncologica June 22, 2018
- The acceptability and potential benefits of mindfulness-based interventions in improving psychological well-being for adults with advanced cancer: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 2018
and 1 more in the library