Abstract
Purpose
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), typically taught in eight weekly classes, helps patients cope with illness, including cancer. Current research is almost exclusively based on post-treatment class attendance. Research suggests that short courses and alternative delivery techniques may also be beneficial. This pilot study assessed whether it would be feasible for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to listen to MBSR audio recordings individually during treatment and at home and evaluate whether the intervention shows preliminary evidence of efficacy to improve patients’ mood and quality of life (QoL).
Methods
Patients were recruited from two oncology clinics. Inclusion criteria included a score ≥8 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Participants were asked to listen to study CDs containing MBSR instructions at least 5 days/week for 3 months and to maintain study diaries of their meditation practices.
Results
Twenty-three patients enrolled in the study, and 20 (87%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 66% to 97%) completed the study protocol. Analysis showed that participants listened to study CDs an average of 39 times during the study; mean HADS scores declined from 18.3 to 12.2 (change = −6.1 points; 95% CI, −2.9 to −9.4). Participants reported subjectively that participation improved their mood and QoL.
Conclusions
This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of investigating an individual audio MBSR intervention for patients with cancer and provides preliminary evidence that MBSR may benefit chemotherapy patients’ mood and QoL. Fully powered comparative clinical trials to asses this MBSR modality to help improve mood and QoL for patients receiving chemotherapy are feasible and needed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Glanz K, Lerman C (1992) Psychosocial impact of breast cancer: a critical review. Annals Behav Med 14:204–212
Moyer A, Salovey P (1996) Psychosocial sequelae of breast cancer and its treatment. Annals Behav Med 18:110–125
de Haes JC, van Knippenberg FC (1985) The quality of life of cancer patients: a review of the literature. Soc Sci Med 20:809–817
Garssen B (2004) Psychological factors and cancer development: evidence after 30 years of research. Clin Psychol Rev 24(3):315–338
Spencer SM, Carver CS, Price AA (1998) Psychological and social factors in adaptation. In: Holland JC et al (eds) Psycho-oncology. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 211–222
Derogatis LR, Morrow GR, Fetting J (1983) The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among cancer patients. JAMA 249:751–757
Northouse LL, Mood D, Kershaw T, Schafenacker A, Mellon S, Walker J, Galvin E, Decker V (2002) Quality of life of women with recurrent breast cancer and their family members. J Clin Oncol 20:4050–4064
Barsevick AM, Pasacreta J, Orsi A (1995) Psychological distress and functional dependency in colorectal cancer patients. Cancer Pract 3(2):105–110
Rosenfeld B, Roth AJ, Gandhi S, Penson D (2004) Differences in health-related quality of life of prostate cancer patients based on stage of cancer. Psychooncology 13(11):800–807
Sherman AC, Simonton S, Latif U, Spohn R, Tricot G (2004) Psychosocial adjustment and quality of life among multiple myeloma patients undergoing evaluation for autologous stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 33(9):955–962
Trask PC, Paterson A, Riba M, Brines B, Griffith K, Parker P, Weick J, Steele P, Kyro K, Ferrara J (2002) Assessment of psychological distress in prospective bone marrow transplant patients. Bone Marrow Transplant 29(11):917–925
Kurtz ME, Kurtz JC, Stommel M, Given CW, Given B (2002) Predictors of depressive symptomatology of geriatric patients with colorectal cancer: a longitudinal view. Support Care Cancer 10(6):494–501
Gotay CC, Moinpour CM, Unger JM, Jiang CS, Coleman D, Martino S, Parker BJ, Bearden JD, Dakhil S, Gross HM, Lippman S, Albain KS (2007) Impact of a peer-delivered telephone intervention for women experiencing a breast cancer recurrence. J Clin Oncol 25(15):2093–2099
Owen JE, Bantum EO, Golant M (2009) Benefits and challenges experienced by professional facilitators of online support groups for cancer survivors. Psychooncology 18(2):144–155
Budin WC, Hoskins CN, Haber J, Sherman DW, Maislin G, Cater JR, Cartwright-Alcarese F, Kowalski MO, McSherry CB, Fuerbach R, Shukla S (2008) Breast cancer: education, counseling, and adjustment among patients and partners: a randomized clinical trial. Nurs Res 57(3):199–213
Boesen EH, Boesen SH, Frederiksen K, Ross L, Dahlstrøm K, Schmidt G, Naested J, Krag C, Johansen C (2007) Survival after a psychoeducational intervention for patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma: a replication study. J Clin Oncol 25(36):5698–5703
Courneya KS, Sellar CM, Stevinson C, McNeely ML, Peddle CJ, Friedenreich CM, Tankel K, Basi S, Chua N, Mazurek A, Reiman T (2009) Randomized controlled trial of the effects of aerobic exercise on physical functioning and quality of life in lymphoma patients. J Clin Oncol 27(27):4605–4612
Adamsen L, Quist M, Andersen C, Møller T, Herrstedt J, Kronborg D, Baadsgaard MT, Vistisen K, Midtgaard J, Christiansen B, Stage M, Kronborg MT, Rørth M (2009) Effect of a multimodal high intensity exercise intervention in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 339:b3410
Ludwig DS, Kabat-Zinn J (2008) Mindfulness in medicine. JAMA 300(11):1350–1352
Kabat-Zinn J (2005) Full catastrophe living: using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Bantam Dell, New York
Kabat-Zinn J (2006) Coming to our senses: healing ourselves and the world through mindfulness. Hyperion, New York
Carmody J, Baer RA (2009) How long does a mindfulness-based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress. J Clin Psychol 65(6):627–638
Shapiro SL, Bootzin RR, Figueredo AJ, Lopez AM, Schwartz GE (2003) The efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction in the treatment of sleep disturbance in women with breast cancer: an exploratory study. J Psychosom Res 54:85–91
Saxe GA, Hebert JR, Carmody JF, Kabat-Zinn J, Rosenzweig PH, Jarzobski D, Reed GW, Blute RD (2001) Can diet in conjunction with stress reduction affect the rate of increase in prostate specific antigen after biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer? J Urol 166(6):2202–2207
Speca M, Carlson LE, Goodey E, Angen M (2000) A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients. Psychosom Med 62(5):613–622
Carlson LE, Zenovia U, Goodey E, Angen M, Speca M (2001) The effects of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients: 6-month follow-up. Support Care Cancer 9:112–123
Carlson LE, Speca M, Patel KD, Goodey E (2003) Mindfulness-based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress, and immune parameters in breast and prostate cancer outpatients. Psychosom Med 65(4):571–581
Carlson LE, Speca M, Patel KD, Goodey E (2004) Mindfulness-based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress and levels of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and melatonin in breast and prostate cancer patients. Psychoneuroendocrinoloty 29:448–474
Lengacher CA, Johnson-Mallard V, Barta M, Fitzgerald S, Moscoso MS, Post-White J, Jacobson PB, Shelton MM, Le N, Budhrani P, Goodman M, Kip KE (2010) Feasibility of mindfulness-based stress reduction for early-stage breast cancer survivors. J Holist Nurs 29:107–117
Witek-Janusek L, Albuquerque K, Chroniak KR, Chroniak C, Durazo-Arvizu R, Mathews HL (2008) Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction on immune function, quality of life and coping in women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Brain Behav Immun 22(6):969–981
Garland SN, Carlson LE, Cook S, Lansdell L, Speca M (2007) A non-randomized comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction and healing arts programs for facilitating post-traumatic growth and spirituality in cancer outpatients. Support Care Cancer 15(8):949–961
Carlson LE, Garland SN (2005) Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on sleep, mood, stress and fatigue symptoms in cancer outpatients. Int J Behav Med 12(4):278–285
Bauer-Wu S, Sullivan AM, Rosenbaum E, Ott MJ, Powell M, McLoughlin M, Healey MW (2008) Facing the challenges of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with mindfulness meditation: a pilot study. Integr Cancer Ther: 7(2):62–69
Kabat-Zinn J, Wheeler E, Light T, Skillings A, Scharf MJ, Cropley TG, Hosmer D, Bernhard JD (1998) Influence of mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA). Psychosom Med 60(5):525–532
Loizzo JJ, Peterson JC, Charleson ME, Wolf EJ, Altemus M, Briggs WM, Vahadt LT, Caputo TA (2010) The effect of a contemplative self-healing program on quality of life in women with breast and gynecological cancers. Altern Ther Health Med 6(3):30–37
Luckett T, Butow PN, King MT, Oguchi M, Heading G, Hackl NA, Rankin N, Price MA (2010) A review and recommendations for optimal outcome measures of anxiety, depression and general distress in studies evaluating psychosocial interventions for English-speaking adults with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses. Support Care Cancer 18(10):1241–1262
Bjelland I, Dahl AA, Haug TT, Neckelmann D (2002) The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. An updated literature review. J Psychosomatic Res 52(2):69–77
Vodermaier A, Linden W, Siu C (2009) Screening for emotional distress in cancer patients: a systematic review of assessment instruments. JNCI 101(21):1464–1488
Rosenbaum E (2007) Here for now: living well with cancer through mindfulness. Satya House, Hardwick
Fouladbakhsh JM, Stommel M (2010) Gender, symptom experience, and use of complementary and alternative medicine practices among cancer survivors in the US cancer population. Oncol Nurs Forum 37(1):E7–E15
Vapiwala N, Mick R, Hampshire MK, Metz JM, DeNittis AS (2006) Patient initiation of complementary and alternative medical therapies (CAM) following cancer diagnosis. Cancer J 12(6):467–474
Wyatt GK, Friedman LL, Given CW, Given BA, Beckrow KC (1999) Complementary therapy use among older cancer patients. Cancer Pract 7(3):136–144
Hedderson MM, Patterson RE, Neuhouser ML, Schwartz SM, Bowen DJ, Standish LJ, Marshall LM (2004) Sex differences in motives for use of complementary and alternative medicine among cancer patients. Altern Ther Health Med 10(5):58–64
Yates JS, Mustian KM, Morrow GR, Gillies LJ, Padmanaban D, Atkins JN, Issell B, Kirshner JJ, Colman LK (2005) Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in cancer patients during treatment. Support Cancer Care 13(10):806–811
Wyatt G, Sikorskii A, Wills CE, Su H (2010) Complementary and alternative medicine use, spending, and quality of life in early stage breast cancer. Nurs Res 59(1):58–66
Acknowledgement of funding
This research was funded by Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Funds.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors had full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review our data if requested.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Altschuler, A., Rosenbaum, E., Gordon, P. et al. Audio recordings of mindfulness-based stress reduction training to improve cancer patients’ mood and quality of life—a pilot feasibility study. Support Care Cancer 20, 1291–1297 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1216-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1216-7