Extremely brief mindfulness interventions for women undergoing breast biopsies: a randomized controlled trial.
Bertha Andrade Coelho, Sara de Pinho Cunha Paiva, Agnaldo Lopes Da Silva Filho
Breast cancer research and treatment July 5, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-018-4869-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 82 |
| Population | Women undergoing percutaneous imaging-guided breast biopsy |
| Interventions | Mindfulness techniques supportive dialogue |
| Duration | One week before biopsy, in waiting room, and during biopsy procedure |
| Measures | Visual analogue scale for pain, salivary cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, peripheral temperature, questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety and stress |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Breast neoplasms Pain measurement Treatment outcome Stress, psychological Adult Middle aged Female Surveys and questionnaires Salivary cortisol Breast biopsy Stress markers |
| Key findings | A brief mindfulness intervention was associated with reduced perceived stress, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation compared with standard care. No differences were observed in salivary cortisol, peripheral temperature, or pain perception. The authors suggest the intervention is feasible and may reduce discomfort in acutely stressful settings. |
Abstract
Purpose: Mindfulness-based programs can reduce stress and help practitioners to have positive attitudes in their daily lives. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of brief Mindfulness interventions on quantitative and qualitative stress parameters in patients undergoing imaging-guided breast biopsies.
Methods: Eighty-two women undergoing percutaneous imaging-guided breast biopsy were randomized into two groups: MBI group or standard care group. One week before the biopsy procedure, on the waiting room and during the biopsy procedure, the MBI group was exposed to mindfulness techniques and the standard care group received supportive dialogue from the biopsy team. Participants completed questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety and stress, demographics, and medical history, besides evaluating their pain experience through a visual analogue scale for pain and had their systolic and diastolic blood pressure, initial and final temperate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and salivary cortisol measured.
Results: Participation in the mindfulness intervention group was associated with reduced levels of perceived stress, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation compared to participation in the standard care group (P values < 0.05). No difference was observed regarding salivary cortisol levels, peripheral temperature, and pain perception between the two studied groups.
Conclusion: Results indicate that an extremely brief mindfulness intervention is a feasible intervention, suggesting that Mindfulness-based programs may be beneficial to reduce discomfort in acutely stressful settings.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.