Preliminary validation of the Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale–Revised in cancer populations

Abstract Objective A brief, valid, and comprehensive measure of mindfulness is needed for cancer populations. This study examined the factor structure, internal consistency, construct validity, and measurement invariance of the 10‐item Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale‐Revised (CAMS‐R) in patients with cancer. Methods Patients with breast, gastrointestinal, lung, or prostate cancer ( N = 404, 50% stage IV cancer, 51% women) were recruited from academic and public clinics in Indianapolis, IN. Patients completed the CAMS‐R and other psychological measures at one time point. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the dimensionality of the CAMS‐R. Internal consistency and construct validity were also assessed. Measurement invariance was examined for gender, cancer type, and cancer stage. Results CFA showed that the original CAMS‐R structure with four first‐order factors (attention, present focus, awareness, and acceptance) and one second‐order factor (mindfulness) had a reasonable fit (RMSEA = 0.09, CFI = 0.95, SRMR = 0.04). Internal consistency was excellent ( α = 0.90). The CAMS‐R total score showed significant positive associations with several subscales of a widely used mindfulness questionnaire and self‐compassion ( r s = 0.61–0.66) and significant negative associations with anxiety, depressive symptoms, rumination, psychological inflexibility, and avoidant coping ( r s = −0.35–0.58). Measurement invariance testing indicated that the CAMS‐R was invariant across populations of varying genders, cancer types, and stages. Conclusions Findings provide preliminary support for using the CAMS‐R in cancer populations. Future research should assess the responsiveness of the CAMS‐R to intervention.