Effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms in mothers of children with cancer

Abstract

Background: Findings demonstrated that parents of children with cancer experience elevated levels of distress, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and subjective symptoms of stress. In this study, we determined effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms in mothers of children with cancer. Methods: Four mothers whose children had cancer were diagnosed to have depression and anxiety symptoms, using Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory II, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. They were selected through purposeful sampling to participate in this experimental single-case study. After the baseline was determined, subjects attended an eight-session program of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Results: The comparison of baseline and post-test showed that depression and anxiety symptoms decreased through MBCT. Improvement quotient for depression and anxety of each subject was good. Conclusion: Data showed that MBCT reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in mothers of children with cancer.