Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Therapy for Reducing Anxiety and Depression in Patients With Cancer: A Meta-analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in improving anxiety and depression among patients with cancer through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Results Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions significantly improved both anxiety and depression scores compared to control treatments, with standardized mean differences of -0.75 and -0.90, respectively. The benefits were more pronounced in follow-ups of ≤12 weeks but lacked consistency in long-term effects.
Population
Patients diagnosed with various forms of cancer.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Varied, with follow-ups ranging up to 12 weeks or longer.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based interventions | decrease | anxiety | patients with cancer | -0.75, 95% confidence interval -1.28, -0.22, P = 0.005 | significantly favored | #1 |
mindfulness-based interventions | decrease | depression | patients with cancer | -0.90, 95% confidence interval -1.53, -0.26, P = 0.006 | significantly favored | #2 |
mindfulness-based therapy | decrease | anxiety | patients with cancer | - | significantly improved | #3 |
mindfulness-based therapy | no change | anxiety | patients with cancer | - | not improved | #4 |
mindfulness-based interventions | decrease | anxiety and depression | patients with cancer | - | effectively relieved | #5 |
Anxiety and depression are common among patients with cancer, and are often treated with psychological interventions including mindfulness-based therapy.The aim of the study was to perform a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for improving anxiety and depression in patients with cancer.Medline, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched. The randomized controlled trials designed for patients diagnosed with cancer were included. Mindfulness-based interventions were provided.The outcomes assessed were the changes in anxiety and depression scores from before to after the intervention. The treatment response was determined by calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) for individual studies and for pooled study results. Subgroup analyses by cancer type, type of therapy, and length of follow-up were performed.Seven studies, involving 469 participants who received mindfulness-based interventions and 419 participants in a control group, were included in the meta-analysis. Mindfulness-based stress reduction and art therapy were the most common interventions (5/7 studies). All studies reported anxiety and depression scores. The pooled SMD of the change in anxiety significantly favored mindfulness-based therapy over control treatment (-0.75, 95% confidence interval -1.28, -0.22, P = 0.005). Likewise, the pooled SMD of the change in depression also significantly favored mindfulness-based therapy over control (-0.90, 95% confidence interval -1.53, -0.26, P = 0.006). During the length of follow-ups less than 12 weeks, mindfulness-based therapy significantly improved anxiety for follow-up ≤12 weeks after the start of therapy, but not >12 weeks after the start of therapy.There was a lack of consistency between the studies in the type of mindfulness-based/control intervention implemented. Patients had different forms of cancer. Subgroup analyses included a relatively small number of studies and did not account for factors such as the severity of anxiety and/or depression, the time since diagnosis, and cancer stage.Mindfulness-based interventions effectively relieved anxiety and depression among patients with cancer. However, additional research is still warranted to determine how long the beneficial effects of mindfulness-based therapy persist.