title: Dispositional mindfulness predicts attenuated waking salivary cortisol levels in cancer survivors: a latent growth curve analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cancer survivors experience significant stress and diminished well-being long after treatment. Dispositional mindfulness is linked with salutary coping with stress and enhanced well-being, with potentially beneficial effects on stress-related hormones. In the present study, we evaluated dispositional mindfulness as a predictor of changes in waking salivary cortisol levels among a sample of cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mindfulness, well-being, and saliva samples were collected at baseline and at 4- and 12-week follow-ups. Latent growth curve analysis was conducted to examine baseline dispositional mindfulness as a predictor of changes in waking salivary cortisol over time, and regression analyses examined associations between well-being and cortisol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings indicated that cancer survivors who reported lower baseline levels of dispositional mindfulness exhibited increases in waking cortisol over time, whereas those who reported higher baseline dispositional mindfulness showed comparatively stable waking cortisol over the study period. Furthermore, increases in waking cortisol were associated with decreased well-being over the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides preliminary evidence that cancer survivors with higher levels of dispositional mindfulness may be buffered from deleterious changes in cortisol secretion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhanced dispositional mindfulness may promote salutary neuroendocrine function among cancer survivors and thereby improve well-being during the survivorship process.
authors.affiliation: Supportive Oncology and Survivorship Program, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lipschitz
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone