The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Psychological Outcomes and Quality of Life in Patients With Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveThe impact of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on psychological outcomes and quality of life (QoL) in lung cancer patients remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the MBSR program on psychological states and QoL in lung cancer patients.MethodsEligible studies published before November 2021 were systematically searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases. The risk of bias in eligible studies was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Psychological variables and QoL were evaluated as outcomes. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to grade the levels of evidence. Statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 14.0.ResultsA total of 17 studies involving 1,680 patients were included for meta-analysis eventually. MBSR program significantly relieved cancer-related fatigue (standard mean difference [SMD], −1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.69 to −0.82; moderate evidence) and negative psychological states (SMD, −1.35; 95% CI, −1.69 to −1.02; low evidence), enhanced positive psychological states (SMD, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.56–1.27; moderate evidence), and improved quality of sleep (MD, −2.79; 95% CI, −3.03 to −2.56; high evidence). Evidence on MBSR programs' overall treatment effect for QoL revealed a trend toward statistical significance (p = 0.06, low evidence).ConclusionBased on our findings, the MBSR program shows positive effects on psychological states in lung cancer patients. This approach should be recommended as a part of the rehabilitation program for lung cancer patients.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-mwvbq-v1, identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MWVBQ.

Efficacy and mechanisms of 4-week MBSR on psychological distress in lung cancer patients: A single-center, single-blind, longitudinal, randomized controlled trial

“…We estimated the sample size using psychological distress as the main effect indicator for this study. According to our previous meta-analysis, 45 the MBSR program was associated with an effect size of 0.418, which was estimated based on the pooled result of psychological distress. Therefore, we estimated a theoretical sample size of 75 cases to ensure a statistical power of 80.0%.…”

“…Participants in the experimental group received both usual care and a 4-week MBSR program. In this study, we selected a 4-week MBSR program as an intervention according to our meta-analysis 45 because patients with lung cancer usually have a relatively short median survival time and fast deterioration in physical health. 59 During this 4-week MBSR program, all participants in the experimental group practiced MBSR under the guidance and supervision of a psychologists qualified as mindfulness trainer.…”

“… 43 , 44 Furthermore, our meta-analysis further demonstrated the positive impact of the MBSR program on psychological states in patients with lung cancer. 45 However, a definitive conclusion regarding the efficacy of the MBSR program for psychological distress has not obtained and should be further investigated in future studies with larger sample sizes.…”

A web-based calculator for predicting psychological distress among patients with lung cancer using machine learning techniques: Development and validation study

“…Patients with lung cancer are more likely to suffer from psychological distress than patients with other types of cancer (Tian et al, 2021a). The reported prevalence of psychological distress in lung cancer patients ranges from 17.0-73.0% (Tian et al, 2023), and a recent meta-analysis revealed that the average prevalence of psychological distress in Chinese lung cancer patients was 48.3% (Chen et al, 2021). Psychological distress can lead to adverse symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, which can interfere with patients' ability to cope with anti-cancer treatment (Tian and Jimenez-Herrera, 2023).…”

“…The reported prevalence of psychological distress in lung cancer patients ranges from 17.0-73.0% (Tian et al, 2023), and a recent meta-analysis revealed that the average prevalence of psychological distress in Chinese lung cancer patients was 48.3% (Chen et al, 2021). Psychological distress can lead to adverse symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, which can interfere with patients' ability to cope with anti-cancer treatment (Tian and Jimenez-Herrera, 2023). An experimental study even showed that psychological distress may enhance tumor growth and diminish effective response to anti-cancer treatment, as well as decrease therapeutic potential (Zhang et al, 2020).…”