The Effectiveness of Group Mindfulness‑Based Stress Reduction on Treatment Adherence, Existential Anxiety, and Stress‑Coping Strategies in Men with Gastric Cancer
Kavian Hadipour, Hassan Satvat Qasriki
Rooyesh Psychological Journal August 1, 2026 DOI: 10.66224/rooyesh.15.5.165 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Male patients with gastric cancer in Urmia during the first half of 2025 |
| Intervention | Group Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Eight sessions, one session per week, 90 minutes each |
| Measures | Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS), Existential Anxiety Scale (EAS), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | After controlling for pretest scores, group MBSR produced significant posttest differences versus controls (p < .001): increased treatment adherence and problem-focused coping, and reduced existential anxiety and emotion-focused and avoidance-focused coping. The authors conclude MBSR plays an effective role in enhancing psychological well-being in men with gastric cancer. |
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Group Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on treatment adherence, existential anxiety, and stress-coping strategies in men with gastric cancer. The research employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest and a control group. The study population consisted of male patients with gastric cancer in Urmia during the first half of 2025. A total of 30 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS; Morisky et al., 2008), the Existential Anxiety Scale (EAS; Good & Good, 1974), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS; Endler & Parker, 1995), and an eight-session MBSR protocol (one session per week, 90 minutes each). Data analysis was conducted using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The findings indicated that, after controlling for pretest scores, there were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in posttest treatment adherence, existential anxiety, and coping strategies (p < .001). MBSR increased treatment adherence and problem-focused coping, while reducing existential anxiety and emotion-focused and avoidance-focused strategies (p < .001). It can be concluded that MBSR plays an effective role in enhancing psychological well-being in men with gastric cancer by improving treatment adherence and coping strategies and reducing existential anxiety.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |