The effects of mindfulness meditation combined with happiness therapy on the psychological status and survival of patients with middle and advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Yang Yu, Enhui Liu, Juan Zhou, Qing-Qing Zhao, Rudan Deng, Qing Li, Yong U Liu
Psycho-Oncologie March 6, 2025 DOI: 10.18282/po3638 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Patients with stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer (described in the abstract as SCLC) |
| Interventions | Happiness therapy Positive thinking meditation |
| Duration | 4-week intervention; 6-month follow-up |
| Measures | Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Psychological Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), General Well-Being Scale (GWB), progression-free survival (PFS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A 4-week psychosocial program of happiness therapy plus positive thinking meditation, added to standard anti-tumour therapy and daily care, was reported to raise psychological resilience and general well-being and lower anxiety and depression compared with standard care alone. Median progression-free survival was 171 days in the intervention group versus 219 days in the control group, a difference the authors report as significant. |
Abstract
Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention on psychological resilience, negative emotions, and overall well-being of subjects with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in middle and advanced stages utilizing happiness therapy combined with positive thinking-meditation expected to provide a basis for clinical psychological intervention.
Methods: One hundred patients with stage III/IV SCLC were chosen as the study population. The participants were assigned into two groups randomly, depending on a random number table: a control cohort (n = 50) and an intervention cohort (n = 50). The control group received systemic anti-tumour therapy and daily care, while the intervention group received an additional 4-week psychosocial intervention of happiness therapy and positive thinking meditation on top of the systemic anti-tumour therapy and daily care. The study used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Psychological Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the General Well-Being Scale (GWB) as assessment tools to comprehensively evaluate psychological state before and after therapy, respectively. Patients in the 2 groups were also reviewed at a 6-month follow-up to record progression-free survival (PFS) in both groups.
Results: Data analysis illustrated that following intervention, the psychological resilience score (78.30 ± 8.47) and the general well-being score (81.06 ± 3.43) of the patients within the intervention cohort were significantly higher than the control (t = −11.13, −10.14, P < 0.001). Anxiety and depression scores in patients of the intervention group (17.80 ± 3.47) were notably lower than those in the control group (t = 5.30, P < 0.001), and there was a different median progression-free survival (PFS) time (171.00 vs. 219.00 days, P = 0.037).
Conclusion: Present study demonstrated that happiness therapy combined with positive thinking meditation as psychological intervention can improve psychological resilience caused by middle- and late-stage NSCLC effectively, reduce their negative emotions, significantly enhance their overall sense of well-being, delay disease progression.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- 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
- The Effectiveness of a Body-Affective Mindfulness Intervention for Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Frontiers in Psychology November 30, 2017
- The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Psychological Outcomes and Quality of Life in Patients With Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis Frontiers in Psychology June 28, 2022
- Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation‐based therapies: a systematic review Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica August 21, 2020
- 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
and 2 more in the library