Mindfulness as a method for improving psychological wellbeing and quality of life in patients with cancer

Cancer patients experience a large amount of psychological distress, such as mood symptoms, and challenges in emotional control, functioning and coping. It is essential that mental health problems among cancer patients are recognized early and can be effectively treated. There is a need for impactful non-pharmacological interventions in oncological care to help cancer patients cope with the burden of the disease. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a well-researched method, that can be used by healthcare personnel to promote wellbeing in their patients. Thesis was conducted as a literature review. The aim of the study was to research how mindfulness interventions can be used to promote psychological wellbeing in patients suffering from cancer. The purpose of the study was to provide nursing staff meaningful information about mindfulness interventions, and how they can be used as a tool in nursing care. Data search was done in ProQuest, and Pubmed. Seven articles from scholarly journals were chosen for the review according to the specific inclusion criteria. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Two main categories were identified in the process: developing coping capacity through mindfulness training, and increased mindfulness as a mediator for improved quality of life. Participants reported noticeable reduction self-reported mood symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and anger. There were also improvements in measures of emotional control, coping capacity and mindful states. The improvements were most evident at 8-week time point, and up to 4 months. The impact was significantly diminished in the longer follow-up measurements. MBSR improved mindfulness scores in the participants, notably in the dimensions of awareness and nonjudging. Increased mindfulness experienced by the participants was found to be correlated with the reported reductions in psychological wellbeing. More research with longitudinal design is needed to better understand the long-term effects of MBSR