Prospective feasibility study of a mindfulness-based program for breast cancer patients in the southeastern US.
Carolina Salvador, Phyllis Mark, Teri Hoenemeyer, Victoria McDonald
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice November 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101639 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective quasi-experimental feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Breast cancer patients in Birmingham, Alabama |
| Intervention | yoga |
| Duration | 10-month study period; 8 program sessions; assessments at 3 time points including 8-week follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Breast cancer Cancer survivorship Mindfulness-based stress reduction Southeast |
| Key findings | The program did not meet its feasibility targets: 44% (12/27) of eligible patients enrolled versus an 80% goal, and 16.7% (2/12) completed all 8 sessions versus a 70% goal, though 66.7% completed at least 7 sessions. Participants showed statistically significant improvements in distress, general wellbeing, and fatigue-related quality of life from baseline to 8-week follow-up, which the authors call promising. |
Abstract
Mindfulness interventions can improve psychological distress and quality of life (QoL) in cancer survivors. Few mindfulness programs for cancer recovery exist in Southeastern U.S. The primary objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a modified mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program for breast cancer patients in Birmingham, Alabama. The secondary objective was to explore potential program effects on mindfulness skills and QoL. This study was a prospective, quasi-experimental feasibility study conducted over 10 months at a university hospital. Feasibility was achieved if 80% of eligible patients screened enrolled in the study and 70% of enrolled patients attended all 8 program sessions. Effectiveness was estimated by changes in mindfulness and QoL indicators measured with validated scales administered at 3 time points and assessed with a non-parametric Friedman test. Sessions included meditation, yoga, and an attention practice called body scan. There were 3 groups of 2-5 patients. The sample totaled 12 patients. Forty-four percent (12/27) of eligible patients enrolled in the study, and two out of 12 enrolled patients completed 8 program sessions, resulting in 16.7% (2/12) retention. However, more than half (66.7%) of participants completed at least 7 sessions. Between baseline and 8-week follow-up, patients demonstrated statistically significant improvements in distress, general wellbeing, and fatigue-related QoL. Feasibility objectives were not achieved. However, a majority of participants (66.7%) completed 7 of 8 program sessions. Program effects were promising for distress, fatigue, and wellbeing. Results warrant further research on MBSR-like programs for breast cancer patients in Alabama.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- A Large Randomized Trial: Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Breast Cancer (BC) Survivors on Salivary Cortisol and IL-6 Biological Research for Nursing August 5, 2018
- Face-to-Face and Internet-Based Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Compared With Treatment as Usual in Reducing Psychological Distress in Patients With Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology June 28, 2018
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer patients: a mixed method study on what patients experience as a suitable stage to participate. Supportive Care in Cancer October 2017
and 10 more in the library