Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation training in a sample of men diagnosed with prostate cancer on active surveillance: results from a randomized controlled pilot trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) in reducing prostate cancer anxiety, uncertainty intolerance, and enhancing posttraumatic growth among men on active surveillance.
Results Summary
Participants in the mindfulness arm showed significant decreases in prostate cancer anxiety and uncertainty intolerance, along with significant increases in mindfulness, global mental health, and posttraumatic growth. The control group also saw increases in mindfulness, but posttraumatic growth improvements were significantly larger in the mindfulness group.
Population
Men on active surveillance for prostate cancer
Effective Dosage
8-week mindfulness training program (specific frequency not detailed)
Duration
8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | decrease | prostate cancer anxiety | men on active surveillance | - | demonstrated significant decreases | #1 |
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | decrease | uncertainty intolerance | men on active surveillance | - | demonstrated significant decreases | #2 |
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | increase | mindfulness | men on active surveillance | - | demonstrated significant increases | #3 |
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | increase | global mental health | men on active surveillance | - | demonstrated significant increases | #4 |
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | increase | posttraumatic growth | men on active surveillance | - | demonstrated significant increases | #5 |
attention control arm | increase | mindfulness | men on active surveillance | - | demonstrated significant increases | #6 |
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | increase | posttraumatic growth | men on active surveillance | - | longitudinal increases were significantly larger | #7 |
mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) | increase | posttraumatic growth | men in the treatment group | - | was shown to significantly increase over time | #8 |
OBJECTIVE: In a pilot randomized controlled trial, examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week, mindfulness training program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) in a sample of men on active surveillance on important psychological outcomes including prostate cancer anxiety, uncertainty intolerance and posttraumatic growth. METHODS: Men were randomized to either mindfulness (n = 24) or an attention control arm (n = 19) and completed self-reported measures of prostate cancer anxiety, uncertainty intolerance, global quality of life, mindfulness and posttraumatic growth at baseline, 8 weeks, 6 months and 12 months. RESULTS: Participants in the mindfulness arm demonstrated significant decreases in prostate cancer anxiety and uncertainty intolerance, and significant increases in mindfulness, global mental health and posttraumatic growth. Participants in the control condition also demonstrated significant increases in mindfulness over time. Longitudinal increases in posttraumatic growth were significantly larger in the mindfulness arm than they were in the control arm. CONCLUSIONS: While mindfulness training was found to be generally feasible and acceptable among participants who enrolled in the 8-week intervention as determined by completion rates and open-ended survey responses, the response rate between initial enrollment and the total number of men approached was lower than desired (47%). While larger sample sizes are necessary to examine the efficacy of mindfulness training on important psychological outcomes, in this pilot study posttraumatic growth was shown to significantly increase over time for men in the treatment group. Mindfulness training has the potential to help men cope more effectively with some of the stressors and uncertainties associated with active surveillance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.