Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Binary Interventions on Mental Health and Physical Well-Being in Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of the present study was to synthesise available evidence examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based binary interventions in cancer patient-caregiver dyads to improve their physical and psychosocial well-being.

Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were searched extensively in ten electronic databases from their inception to January 2024. Studies written in either English or Chinese were eligible for inclusion in this review. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 1 and the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist were used to appraise the studies. Meta-analyses using Review Manager 5.4.1 were used to synthesise the effects of outcomes of interest. Subgroup analyses were conducted.

Eleven studies with 478 cancer patients and 391 caregivers were included. Meta-analyses revealed statistically significant differences in patient anxiety (standardised mean difference (SMD) = -1.04, 95% CI [–1.95, -0.13], p = 0.02), depression (SMD = -0.85, 95% CI [–1.64, -0.06], p = 0.03), and quality of life (SMD = 0.33, 95% CI [0.01, 0.65], p = 0.04). The meta-analyses also found no statistically significant effects for caregiver outcomes. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that intervention duration > 6 weeks (p = 0.0008) and offline intervention (p = 0.02) were more effective in reducing patients' anxiety. However, the intervention duration ≤ 6 weeks (p = 0.001) was more effective in relieving depression among patients. For caregivers, the intervention duration > 6 weeks (p = 0.04) was more effective in relieving depression.

For cancer patients, a mindfulness-based binary intervention was effective in improving their mental health and quality of life. For caregivers, the long-term binary mindfulness-based intervention was effective in improving their mental health.

This review was preregistered on PROSPERO (Ref No: CRD42022332917).