The EFFECTIVENESS OF MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR) ON BODY CHANGE STRESS AND MOOD STATES OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM BREAST CANCER

Abstract

Introduction: The emotional trauma and the adverse side effects of breast cancer treatment triggers a wide range of negative physical and psychological conditions such as pain, fatigue, nausea, decreased sleep, stress, hopelessness, anxiety, depression, and the like. The psychosocial assistance provided by Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as a complementary medicine programme has its roots in Buddhist Spiritual beliefs. It works with the unity of mind and body as a whole.

Method: The present work attempted to investigate the efficacy of MBSR training on body change stress and mood states of post-operative breast cancer patients. For the present study, a 6-week MBSR training programme was used, with a weekly session of 45-minute duration. It was a control group pre-post design. The purposive sampling method was used for composing the sample. The sample consisted of an experimental and a control group, where only the experimental group received the MBSR training. The size of both groups was equal (N= 30 each). The Breast Impact of Treatment Scale and Profile of Mood States was used to measure the pre-intervention and post-intervention scores.

Results: The findings of statistical treatment show that MBSR training had a significant positive effect on the participating patients. The pre-test and post-test means did not vary significantly for the control group. 

Conclusion: MBSR training, as a structured and alternative form of psychosocial medicine, proved to be significantly effective in reducing the body change stress of breast cancer patients and improving their mood states.