Mindfulness-based interventions for coping with cancer.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 2016 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13029 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) supportive-expressive therapy cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Cancer Stress |
| Key findings | Argues that mindfulness-based interventions, particularly mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR), are beneficial in cancer care, with reported improvements across psychological and biological outcomes including cortisol slopes, blood pressure, and telomere length. The author reviews three trials comparing MBCR with supportive-expressive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and an online adaptation for rural and remote cancer survivors. |
Abstract
Work in the development and evaluation of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for cancer care has been underway for the last 20 years, and a growing body of literature now supports their efficacy. MBIs are particularly helpful in dealing with common experiences related to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, including loss of control, uncertainty about the future, and fears of recurrence, as well as a range of physical and psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue. Our adaptation, mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR), has resulted in improvements across a range of psychological and biological outcomes, including cortisol slopes, blood pressure, and telomere length, in various groups of cancer survivors. In this paper, I review the rationale for MBIs in cancer care and provide an overview of the state of the current literature, with a focus on results from three recent clinical trials conducted by our research group. These include a comparative efficacy trial comparing MBCR to supportive-expressive therapy in distressed breast cancer survivors, a non-inferiority trial comparing MBCR to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in cancer survivors with clinical insomnia, and an online adaptation of MBCR for rural and remote cancer survivors without access to in-person groups. I conclude by outlining work in progress and future directions for MBI research and applications in cancer care.
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
Cited by 26
- Randomized controlled trial of a group intervention combining self-hypnosis and self-care: secondary results on self-esteem, emotional distress and regulation, and mindfulness in post-treatment cancer patients Quality of Life Research October 6, 2020
- Cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based interventions for distress in patients with advanced cancer: A meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology 2024
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery training on anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cancer-related fatigue in breast neoplasm patients undergoing chemotherapy. Medicine June 7, 2024
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Culturally Adapted, Community-Based, Remotely Delivered Mindfulness Program for Latinx Patients With Breast Cancer is Acceptable and Feasible While Reducing Anxiety. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2024
- Effects of internet-based mindfulness interventions on anxiety and depression symptoms in cancer patients: A meta-analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry 2025
and 21 more in the library
Cites 16
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction as supportive therapy in cancer care: systematic review Journal of Advanced Nursing September 29, 2005
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Narrative Review Evaluating Levels of Evidence ISRN Psychiatry November 14, 2012
- Mediators of Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Assessing the Timing and Sequence of Change in Cancer Patients Journal of Clinical Psychology 2015
- The eCALM Trial-eTherapy for cancer appLying mindfulness: online mindfulness-based cancer recovery program for underserved individuals living with cancer in Alberta: protocol development for a randomized wait-list controlled clinical trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine February 16, 2013
and 11 more in the library