Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Stress, Depression, and Psychological Well-being in Patients With Cancer: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: A mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy is one of the interventions designed to help patients cope with stress and depression. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy on stress, depression, and psychological well-being in adult patients with cancer. METHODS: This study was a single-blinded, prospective, randomized-controlled experimental design. One hundred twenty cancer patients were recruited (60 each in the intervention and control groups). Patients in the intervention group received a 10-day mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy. Stress was measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-State, psychological well-being was measured with the Psychological Well-being Scale, and depression was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory at baseline and the end of the study. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significantly lower stress and depression scores than the control group in the total scores at 10 days ( P < .05). The intervention group had significantly higher scores in the psychological well-being ( P < .001) than the control group at 10 days. Intragroup comparison of the stress and depression scores showed that posttest score of the intervention group was significantly lower than its pretest score ( P < .05). CONCLUSION: Mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy reduced the levels of stress and depressive symptoms and improved psychological well-being in cancer patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: A nurse-led mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy is an innovative and effective psychological intervention that may be integrated with regular patient care for adults receiving treatment of cancer.