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Mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy for women with breast and gynecologic cancer: a pilot study to determine effectiveness and feasibility

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Abstract

Purpose

Group-based mindfulness training is frequently described in psycho-oncology literature, but little is known of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). We investigated the effectiveness and acceptability of MBCT for women with breast and gynecologic cancer.

Methods

Fifty women were recruited to participate in eight weekly 2-h mindfulness sessions. Outcomes of distress, quality of life (QOL), post-traumatic growth, and mindfulness were assessed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and again 3 months later using validated measures. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVAs with a Bonferroni correction. Participant satisfaction and evaluation were also assessed.

Results

Forty-two women completed the program, and complete data were available for 36 women. Significant improvements with large effect sizes (ηρ2) were observed for distress (P < 0.001; ηρ2 = 0.238), QOL (P = 0.001; ηρ2 = 0.204), mindfulness (P < 0.001; ηρ2 = 0.363) and post-traumatic growth (P < 0.001; ηρ2 = 0.243). Gains were maintained 3 months post-intervention. Improvements in outcomes did not differ based on diagnostic group, psychological status, or physical well-being at entry. Change indices further support these findings. Scores on measures of distress, QOL, and post-traumatic growth decreased as a function of increased mindfulness at each time point (all P < 0.05). Participants reported experiencing the program as beneficial, particularly its group-based nature, and provided positive feedback of the therapy as a whole as well as its individual components.

Conclusions

Within the limits of a non-randomized trial, these findings provide preliminary support for the potential psychosocial benefits of MBCT in a heterogeneous group of women with cancer. Future, more comprehensive trials are needed to provide systematic evidence of this therapy in oncology settings.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a generous financial contribution from the Collier Charitable Trust. The Centre for Women's Mental Health is supported by the Pratt Foundation.

Conflict of interest

The authors do not have a financial relationship with the Pratt Foundation or Collier Charitable Trust. The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review these data if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Royal Women’s Hospital, Locked Bag 300, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia

    Lesley Stafford, Fiona Judd & Penny Gibson

  2. Mind Potential, Shop 2, 52 President Avenue, Caringbah, New South Wales, 2229, Australia

    Elizabeth Foley

  3. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    Lesley Stafford & Litza Kiropoulos

  4. Psychology Department, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, 3050, Australia

    Litza Kiropoulos

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Psycho-oncology Research Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Locked Bag 1, A’Beckett Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 8006, Australia

    Jeremy Couper

  6. Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    Lesley Stafford & Fiona Judd

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  1. Lesley Stafford
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Correspondence to Lesley Stafford.

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Stafford, L., Foley, E., Judd, F. et al. Mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy for women with breast and gynecologic cancer: a pilot study to determine effectiveness and feasibility. Support Care Cancer 21, 3009–3019 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-1880-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-1880-x

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