title: Comparison of the acceptability and benefits of two mindfulness-based interventions in women with breast or gynecologic cancer: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the relative benefits and acceptability of two different group-based mindfulness psychotherapy interventions among women with breast and gynecologic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 42 women who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program comprising 22 contact hours were compared to data from 24 women who completed a 6-week mindfulness meditation program (MMP) comprising 9 contact hours. Distress, quality of life (QOL), and mindfulness were evaluated pre- (T1) and post-intervention (T2). ANCOVA was used to analyse the relationship between intervention type and T1 score on outcome variable change scores. Participants' perceptions of benefit and acceptability were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants did not differ on clinical or demographic variables other than MBCT participants were more likely than MMP participants to have a past history of anxiety or depression (p = .01). Scores on distress, QOL, and mindfulness improved from T1 to T2 with medium to large effect sizes for the MMP (p=.002, d=.7; p=.001, d=.8; p=.005, d=.6, respectively) and MBCT (p<.001,d = .6; p=.008, d = .4; p<.001, d=.9, respectively) interventions. [correted]. ANCOVA showed no main effect for intervention type on outcome change scores and no interaction between intervention type and respective T1 score. Distress and mindfulness scores at T1 had a main effect on respective change scores (p = .02, ηp (2) = .87; p = .01, ηp (2) = .80, respectively). Both programs were perceived as beneficial and acceptable with no differences between the intervention types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limits of a small, non-randomized study, these findings provide preliminary support for the utility of a brief mindfulness intervention for improving distress and QOL in a heterogeneous group of women with cancer. Abbreviated interventions are less resource intensive and may be attractive to very unwell patients.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Locked Bag 300, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia, Lesley.stafford@thewomens.org.au.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komiti
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Couper
authors.forename: Litza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kiropoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D026441:Mind-Body Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome