Mindfulness at Methodist—A Prospective Pilot Study of Mindfulness and Stress Resiliency Interventions in Patients at a Tertiary Care Medical Center

Abstract

Individuals with chronic medical conditions like cancer often experience heightened stress levels that can impact medical decision-making. The aim of this study was assess the impact of mindful stress-reduction interventions in cancer patients and support group participants (which included current and former cancer patients and their caregivers). A pilot study was conducted in which participants were provided a mindful stress-reduction intervention to determine whether they reduced stress, anxiety, and communication issues. Participants were provided a one-hour mindful stress-reduction intervention by a licensed physical therapist. Surveys were given to participants immediately before and after, and again 7-days after the intervention. Perceived stress was ascertained by asking participants: “Which emotional/mental state do you most frequently find yourself in?” Anxiety and communication abilities were measured using Neuro-QoL™ Anxiety and Communication v.1 instruments. Fifty-nine participants with a mean age of 60.6 years completed the study. Of these, 30.5%, 6.8%, 23.7%, and 39% were diagnosed (or were a caregiver to someone diagnosed) with pancreas, liver, breast, or unknown cancers, respectively. The surveys showed that participants’ perceived stress scores (p < 0.001), anxiety levels (p = 0.0067), and pain scores (p < 0.0001) were reduced after the mindful stress-reduction intervention. Larger studies with control groups are needed to confirm the interventions’ benefits.