Mindfulness: Existential, Loss, and Grief Factors in Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Although a plethora of studies exist as to the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions with cancer patients, existential, loss, and grief factors are absent. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to add to the literature by exploring the pre-post effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention on existential well-being, summed self-identified losses, and grief scores as well as assess mental adjustment to cancer; also, 6-month follow-up data as to intervention maintenance were obtained. Sixty-five women, all of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the past 12 months, participated in this study. The data indicated significant improvements for existential well-being, number of self-identified losses, grief scores as well as three mental adjustment styles. Six-month follow-up revealed that of the 58 responding participants, 88% were maintaining mindfulness strategies at varying schedules on a weekly basis with mindfulness-based walking as the preferred strategy. This is the first known mindfulness-based intervention study to investigate existential, loss, and grief factors in those with cancer. Further investigations earnestly are needed in this area to provide full psychosocial care to those confronting cancer.

Losing the breast: A meta‐synthesis of the impact in women breast cancer survivors

“…Those individual living with distress may demonstrate varying degree of social isolation, detaching themselves from their social circle, resulting in declining mental wellness. 19,20 With the growing population of women surviving many years after breast cancer treatments, there is a need to assess not only clinical outcomes or screening for cancer antigens but also the physical and psychological aspects of quality of life in women breast cancer survivors after losing their breast. 21 Therefore, health care professionals should understand the possible impact of altered body image so as to play an important supportive role in the women's transition from cancer treatment into survivorship.…”

“…Women breast cancer survivors may be medically well but living with a negative perception of their post‐cancer body image leading to psychosocial distress. Those individual living with distress may demonstrate varying degree of social isolation, detaching themselves from their social circle, resulting in declining mental wellness . With the growing population of women surviving many years after breast cancer treatments, there is a need to assess not only clinical outcomes or screening for cancer antigens but also the physical and psychological aspects of quality of life in women breast cancer survivors after losing their breast .…”

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Physical Conditions: A Narrative Review Evaluating Levels of Evidence

“…Other outcomes assessed include cancer-related symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and sleep [17, 18], and existential outcomes including spirituality, posttraumatic growth, loss, and grief [19, 132], as well as various measures of mindfulness [12, 20–22]. …”

Physical and psychological scars: the impact of breast cancer on women's body image

“…These wide ranging appearance changes can be a significant source of distress and body dissatisfaction for women (Falk Dahl et al, 2010;Helms et al, 2008), particularly because they are out of the individual's control (Tacon, 2011). Indeed, one study reported appearance concerns among 17% to 33% of women within 7 months of their diagnosis (Fobair et al, 2006).…”