Investigating the Effect of Mindfulness-Based Training on Psychological Status and Quality of Life in Patients with Breast Cancer
Somye Pouy, Fatemeh Attari Peikani, Hassan Nourmohammadi, Parisa Sanei, Asma Tarjoman, Milad Borji
Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP July 27, 2018 DOI: 10.22034/apjcp.2018.19.7.1993 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 66 |
| Population | Patients diagnosed with breast cancer living in Ilam, Iran |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based group training |
| Duration | Eight 90-minute sessions, twice a week, completed within 1 month; questionnaires completed before and 2 months after the intervention |
| Measures | WHOQOL-BREF, Schneider's life expectancy questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Breast neoplasms Prognosis Follow-up studies Stress, psychological Mental health Anxiety disorders Quality of life Middle aged Iran Female Surveys and questionnaires Cancer Psychological problems Based training |
| Key findings | Two months after eight mindfulness-based group training sessions, patients with breast cancer reported higher quality of life and life expectancy and less severe depression, anxiety, and stress than controls, while the groups did not differ significantly before the intervention. The authors recommend that health nurses conduct mindfulness-based training for patients receiving clinical care. |
Abstract
Cancer poses substantial challenges to both physical and mental health of patients. On the other hand, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among Iranian women. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of mindfulness-based training on psychological status and quality of life (QoL) of patients with breast cancer living in Ilam, Iran. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 66 patients diagnosed with breast cancer. The patients assigned into two groups of experimental and control. Experimental group received mindfulness-based group training through eight 90-min sessions. Sessions were conducted twice a week and were completed within 1 month. The research tools included a QoL questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), Schneider’s life expectancy questionnaire, and the depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21). The questionnaires were completed before and during the interviews with the patients 2 months after intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16) and running descriptive and analytical statistics. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between he experimental and control groups considering QoL, life expectancy, depression, anxiety, and stress (p>0.05). However, after the intervention, the patients in the experimental group reported higher QoL and life expectancy and less severe depression, anxiety, and stress (p < 0.05). Considering the positive effect of mindfulness-based training on the psychological status and QoL of patients with breast cancer, we recommend health nurses conduct mindfulness-based training for patients receiving clinical care services.
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
Cited by 4
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Depression in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Integrative Cancer Therapies 2023
- Impact of mindfulness practices to improve quality of life and mental health of persons diagnosed with breast cancer: a systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on rumination in patients with breast cancer. BMC Women's Health December 28, 2022
- The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue in oncology patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis PLoS One July 14, 2022
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