The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on psychological well-being, health anxiety, and body image in women with breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the common diseases in women that threatens their physical and mental health. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program on psychological well-being, health anxiety, and body image in women with mastectomy breast cancer.

The present study is quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up group design. The statistical population of this research included all women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy surgery and were referred to Namazi and Amir Shiraz hospitals in 2021. A total of 30 women with breast cancer were selected in a purposeful way and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). Data collection was done using the demographic form and psychological well-being questionnaire, health anxiety inventory, and body image concern inventory. After the pre-test, the experimental group underwent 8 sessions of a 90-minute stress reduction program based on mindfulness. The instruments were completed by the experimental and control groups in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. Data analysis was done in SPSS software version 24 with a significance level (p<0.05).

The average scores of psychological well-being, health anxiety, and body image before training in the experimental and control groups were 29.67±4.98 and 29.47±6.62, 56.73±5.41 and 56.33±5.73, 57.67±4.73 and 57.40±3.96 respectively. There was a significant difference between the mindfulness experiment group and the control group after training (p<0.001). The largest effect size was related to body image (0.69), health anxiety (0.61), and psychological well-being (0.58).

The stress reduction program based on mindfulness led to increases in psychological well-being, a decrease in health anxiety, and concern about body image. Therefore suggested that this program be used for the rehabilitation of women with breast cancer who have undergone mastectomy surgery.