The Psychological Effect of Internet-Based Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Survivors of Breast Cancer During the COVID-19

Objective: To examine the efficacy and the role of engagement of an internet-based Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (iMBSR) for survivors of breast cancer (BC) during the COVID-19 period from January to March in 2020 in China.Methods: 48 survivors of BC were divided into the absentees group and the iMBSR groups according to their attending to the standardized, group-based, 8-week iMBSR. Based on practice time, survivors of BC in the iMBSR were categorized into three subgroups: group 1 (<30 min/day), group 2 (30–60 min/day), and group 3 (>60 min/day). In addition, participants were classified as partial attendees (<4 sessions) and completers (more than 4 sessions) of the iMBSR groups. All participants were evaluated for symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention.Results: After an 8-week iMBSR practice, at mid-intervention and post-intervention, participants in iMBSR group had significant improvement in scores and reduction rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia compared to absentees. Scores of depression and insomnia, reduction rates of depression at post-intervention, scores of anxiety, reduction rates of anxiety and insomnia at mid-intervention and post-intervention, had significant differences among subgroups of practice time. Daily practice time was positively related to reduction rates of depression, anxiety and insomnia at post-intervention in the iMBSR group.Conclusion: Internet-based MBSR showed efficacy in reducing psychological symptoms among survivors of BC. For survivors of BC, iMBSR practice has a potential dose–response efficacy, with a threshold of >30 min daily practice for most optimal symptoms reduction.Trial Registration: Registration number is [ChiCTR2100044309].

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Does practice quality mediate the relationship between practice time and outcome in mindfulness-based stress reduction?

10.31231/osf.io/85qgd ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Simon Goldberg ◽

Cara Knoeppel ◽

Lisa Flook ◽

Richard J Davidson

Keyword(s):

Stress Reduction ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Self Report ◽

Mindfulness Practice ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Future Research ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Practice Time

Interventions based on mindfulness meditation are increasingly common and evidence exists supporting their use. However, questions remain regarding treatment mechanisms accounting for beneficial effects. The current study examined one candidate mechanism – mindfulness practice quality – as a mediator of the link between practice time and outcome within mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Participants (n=96) completed measures of mindfulness and psychological symptoms at baseline and post-treatment. A weekly questionnaire assessed practice time and quality over the eight weeks of MBSR. Multilevel models accounted for nesting within participants, MBSR groups, and instructors. Results generally supported the reliability and validity of a weekly single-item practice quality measure. Greater practice time was associated with improved practice quality (r=.48). Increases in practice quality predicted improvements in self-report mindfulness and psychological symptoms (bs=.35, .30, and -.19, ps<.05,), but not behavioral mindfulness (b=-.02, p=.879). In multilevel mediation models, improved practice quality mediated the link between practice time and changes in self-report mindfulness, suggesting improved practice quality functions as a mechanism linking practice time and outcome in MBSR. Future research evaluating practice quality in clinical samples, in tandem with intensive sampling paradigms (e.g., experience sampling) and objective (behavioral, physiological) outcomes may be warranted.

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Smartphone Monitoring of Participants’ Engagement With Home Practice During Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Observational Study

JMIR Mental Health ◽

10.2196/14467 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. e14467

Author(s):

Christine E Parsons ◽

Maria A Madsen ◽

Kasper Løvborg Jensen ◽

Simon Kæseler ◽

Lone Overby Fjorback ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stress Reduction ◽

Daily Practice ◽

Smartphone App ◽

Home Practice ◽

Participant Engagement ◽

Training Courses ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Reported Data ◽

Practice Time ◽

Regular Practice

Background Standardized mindfulness training courses involve significant at-home assignments of meditation practice. Participants’ self-reported completion of these assignments has been correlated with treatment outcomes, but self-reported data are often incomplete and potentially biased. In addition, mindfulness teachers typically suggest that participants set aside a regular practice time, preferably in the morning, but the extent to which participants do this has not been empirically examined. Objective This study aimed to analyze patterns of participant engagement with home practice in a mindfulness-based stress reduction course. Methods We used a novel smartphone app to provide 25 participants with access to their daily practice assignments during the 8-week course. We analyzed data collected through our smartphone app to determine usage and listening patterns and performed analyses of the regularity and frequency of participant behavior. Results We found that participants listened to a median of 3 of the 6 practice sessions per week, and they did not typically set aside a regular daily practice time. Across weekdays, participants practiced most frequently in the morning, but there was considerable variation in participants’ practice start times. On weekends, the peak practice time was in the evening. Conclusions We suggest that it is feasible to integrate a smartphone-monitoring approach into existing mindfulness interventions. High-frequency smartphone monitoring can provide insights into how and when participants complete their homework, information that is important in supporting treatment engagement.

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Supplemental Material for Does Practice Quality Mediate the Relationship Between Practice Time and Outcome in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?

Journal of Counseling Psychology ◽

10.1037/cou0000369.supp ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Stress Reduction ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Practice Time ◽

The Relationship

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The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Group Counseling on Psychological and Inflammatory Responses of the Women With Breast Cancer

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/1534735420946819 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 153473542094681

Author(s):

Motahareh Mirmahmoodi ◽

Parvin Mangalian ◽

Atefeh Ahmadi ◽

Mahlagha Dehghan

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Group Counseling ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Reduction Group ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Introduction: Breast cancer is common among women and reduces their quality of life. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling in alleviating psychological responses such as anxiety, depression, stress, and regulating laboratory tests including cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) in women with breast cancer. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted based on convenience sampling. Participants were divided into 2 groups (control and intervention groups) with block randomization. The intervention group received mindfulness-based stress reduction group counseling during 8 weeks. The participants completed the Beck anxiety inventory, Beck-II depression inventory, and perceived stress scale before and after the intervention and their blood samples were taken to check their cortisol and CRP. Results: After the intervention, the MBSR group had significantly lower anxiety compared with the control group ( P < .001). No significant difference was found between the 2 groups in the reduction of perceived stress and depression ( P < .05). In addition, no significant difference was found between the 2 groups in CRP and cortisol levels after the intervention ( P > .05). Conclusion: The present study showed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in improving anxiety rather than the stress, depression, and inflammatory laboratory factors such as cortisol and CRP in women with breast cancer. Therefore, the psychological symptoms of these patients can be improved at different stages of treatment by providing this type of training.

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Psycho-immune response of women with breast cancer to mindfulness based stress reduction

Brain Behavior and Immunity ◽

10.1016/j.bbi.2006.04.065 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 1-2

Author(s):

Linda W. Janusek ◽

Kevin V. Albuquerque ◽

Herbert L. Mathews

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Immune Response ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

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Examining the impact of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention on the health of urban South Africans

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine ◽

10.4102/phcfm.v10i1.1614 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Simon L. Whitesman ◽

Michelle Hoogenhout ◽

Linda Kantor ◽

Katherine J. Leinberger ◽

Anik Gevers

Keyword(s):

Stress Reduction ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Positive Mood ◽

South Africans ◽

Mindfulness Skills ◽

Urban South ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Clinical Records ◽

The Impact ◽

Medical Symptoms

Background: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been found to have significant health benefits in studies conducted in the global North.Aim: This study examined the effects of MBSR on stress, mood states and medical symptoms among urban South Africans to inform future research and clinical directions of MBSR in local settings.Setting: Participants completed an 8-week MBSR programme based in central Cape Town.Method: A retrospective analysis of 276 clinical records was conducted. Mindfulness, stress, negative and positive mood, medical symptoms and psychological symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention using self-report questionnaires. We compared pre and postintervention scores and examined the relationship between changes in mindfulness and changes in stress, mood and medical symptoms.Results: Mindfulness scores were significantly higher after intervention, both on the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS) and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Changes on the KIMS were associated with reductions in stress, negative mood, psychological symptoms and total medical symptoms, and improvement in positive mood. Changes in mindfulness, as measured by the MAAS, were significantly correlated only with reduced total number of medical symptoms.Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence for the positive health impact of MBSR on urban South Africans, and in turn acceptability and feasibility evidence for MBSR in South Africa and supports the case for larger trials in different local settings.

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Weathering storms: a cohort study of how participation in a mindfulness based stress reduction program benefits women after breast cancer treatment

Current Oncology ◽

10.3747/co.v17i4.572 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

P.L. Dobkin ◽

R.H. Matousek

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Cancer Treatment ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Breast Cancer Treatment ◽

Reduction Program ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽

Program Benefits

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A Large Randomized Trial: Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Breast Cancer (BC) Survivors on Salivary Cortisol and IL-6

Biological Research For Nursing ◽

10.1177/1099800418789777 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 39-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Cecile A. Lengacher ◽

Richard R. Reich ◽

Carly L. Paterson ◽

Melissa Shelton ◽

Steve Shivers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Rank Test ◽

Signed Rank ◽

Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test ◽

Signed Rank Test ◽

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) often experience psychological and physiological symptoms after cancer treatment. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a complementary and alternative therapy, has reduced subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and fatigue among BCS. Little is known, however, about how MBSR affects objective markers of stress, specifically the stress hormone cortisol and the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). In the present study, BCS ( N = 322) were randomly assigned to a 6-week MBSR program for BC or usual-care control. Measurements of cortisol, IL-6, symptoms, and quality of life were obtained at orientation and 6 weeks. Cortisol and IL-6 were also measured prior to and after the MBSR(BC) class Weeks 1 and 6. The mean age of participants was 56.6 years and 69.4% were White non-Hispanic. Most had Stage I (33.8%) or II (35.7%) BC, and 35.7% had received chemotherapy and radiation. Cortisol levels were reduced immediately following MBSR(BC) class compared to before the class Weeks 1 and 6 (Wilcoxon-signed rank test; p < .01, d = .52–.56). IL-6 was significantly reduced from pre- to postclass at Week 6 (Wilcoxon-signed rank test; p < .01, d = .21). No differences were observed between the MBSR(BC) and control groups from baseline to Week 6 using linear mixed models. Significant relationships with small effect sizes were observed between IL-6 and both symptoms and quality of life in both groups. Results support the use of MBSR(BC) to reduce salivary cortisol and IL-6 levels in the short term in BCS.

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