Mindfulness after cancer treatment

The impact of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) for adolescents and young adults after cancer treatment on psychosocial parameters: an exploratory study (Boost Your Mind).

Status
Completed
Cancer types
Blood cancer
Trial phase
Exploratory

Funding

€93,960
ACF donation
€217,960
Trial cost

Why this trial

Adolescent and young adult cancer (AYAC) survivors experience more complex, more severe and longer-lasting emotional distress than children or adults with similar diagnoses. Besides dealing with the consequences of their illnesses and treatments, puberty also complicates AYAC survivors’ lives. The depression, anxiety, or other forms of distress they experience often become worse years after cancer treatment has ended. However, the psychosocial needs of these patients have remained largely unmet. Research concerning AYAC survivors focussing on symptom management after treatment has ended is scarce and more age-appropriate interventions were needed.

Why this intervention

The origin of mindfulness (an intervention - not a drug) lies in Buddhism, growing from the philosophy that worrying about the past and the future leads to distress. In recent years, research has explored the effects of mindfulness training on young adults. A study of more than 400 adolescents in Flemish schools revealed that young adults who had followed mindfulness training scored better psychologically, and that these improvements were visible even 6 months after the end of the training sessions. Furthermore, mindfulness did not only help prevent mental health problems, but also alleviated psychological problems.

Trial design

In this exploratory trial, 4 Belgian centres recruited 16 AYAC survivors, aged 14 to 24, who had completed cancer treatment. After 2 baseline assessments, patients followed an 8-week mindfulness training course. Patients were evaluated twice: at one week and three months after mindfulness training. The primary objective was to improve quality of life and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety.

 

Results

Multilevel modeling revealed three key findings:

  1. Emotional distress decreased significantly, and quality of life improved after 3 months of follow-up.
  2. Negative attitudes toward oneself, a cognitive vulnerability factor, decreased significantly.
  3. Mindfulness skills showed significant improvement.

These results suggest that mindfulness-based interventions hold promise for reducing emotional distress and enhancing quality of life in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. However, more research using randomized controlled trials is necessary to confirm these findings across a wider population.

The publication is available here.

Partners

Coordinating Investigator:

  • Kathleen Van der Gucht, Department of Clinical Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Sponsor:

  • University Hospital of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Others:

  • Inge De Leeuw, trainer MINDaWARE Foundation

Our role

Financial support

Why we support this trial

Intervention has little or no commercial value

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No major hurdle for clinical implementation

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Funding

€93,960
ACF donation
€217,960
Trial cost

Questions about this trial?

The Anticancer Fund
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References

Van der Gucht, K., et al. (2017). A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults After Cancer Treatment: Effects on Quality of Life, Emotional Distress, and Cognitive Vulnerability. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, 6(2), 307-317 doi:10.1089/jayao.2016.0070

Author: Kristine Beckers (Trial Manager)

Last updated: March 2024.