The Effectiveness of a 6-Week Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Patients With Cervical Cancer or High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Multimodal Data of Scales and Electroencephalogram.
Shu Jing, Zhenwei Dai, Xuelin Yang, You Xin, Rui Sun, Jing Wu, Yueyun Wang, A Disi, Xiaoyou Su
Psycho-Oncology September 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/pon.70610 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 151 |
| Population | Patients with cervical cancer or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) |
| Interventions | Online mindfulness-based intervention general mental health education |
| Duration | 6-week intervention, assessments at baseline and post-intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Electroencephalography Treatment outcome Adult Middle aged Uterine cervical neoplasms Female EEG Cervical cancer Randomized controlled trial Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Multimodal data Online mindfulness intervention |
| Key findings | A 6-week online mindfulness-based intervention significantly reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms and increased resilience, mindfulness, and perceived social support compared with general mental health education among patients with cervical cancer or HSIL. Exploratory frontal EEG measures showed higher theta and alpha power and lower beta and gamma power in the intervention group, which the authors present as preliminary neurophysiological support. |
Abstract
Background: Patients with cervical cancer or High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL) often experience mental problems such as anxiety and depression. Online mindfulness-based interventions offer accessible mental health support. However, evidence for cervical cancer or HSIL patients remains scarce, and evaluations often rely solely on self-reported scales, with a lack of neurophysiological assessments. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 6-week online mindfulness-based intervention on mental health outcomes in this population by using scales, with exploratory frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarkers as supplementary neurophysiological indicators.
Methods: A single-center randomized controlled trial enrolling 151 cervical cancer or HSIL patients was conducted. The intervention group received a 6-week online mindfulness-based intervention, while the control group received general mental health education. Primary outcomes were depressive and anxiety symptoms assessed by validated scales. Frontal EEG metrics were collected as exploratory supplementary neurophysiological indicators. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention. Independent samples t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for intergroup comparisons, with Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction applied to control for multiple testing.
Results: A total of 149 patients completed the study. After the intervention, the intervention showed significantly lower symptoms of depression (t = 12.238, FDR-q < 0.001), anxiety (t = 11.150, FDR-q < 0.001), and higher levels of resilience, mindfulness, and perceived social support than the control group. Exploratory EEG analysis revealed that the intervention group exhibited higher relative theta and alpha power, higher time-domain standard deviation, and lower relative beta and gamma power than the control group.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a 6-week online mindfulness-based intervention effectively alleviates depressive and anxiety symptoms among patients with cervical cancer or HSIL. Exploratory EEG findings provide preliminary neurophysiological support for these psychological benefits, though further validation with larger samples is warranted.
Trial Registration: The trial was prospectively registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ID: ChiCTR2400087926, https://www.chictr.org.cn/) on August 07, 2024.
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 32
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Mindfulness-induced changes in gamma band activity – Implications for the default mode network, self-reference and attention Clinical Neurophysiology September 21, 2011
- Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight] IEEE Signal Processing Magazine 2008
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
- Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity and mindfulness in clinical and non-clinical contexts: A review and synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 22, 2022
and 27 more in the library