Profiles of mindfulness in cancer patients and associations with psychological outcomes and coping strategies: A person-centered approach

Abstract

Objective: Previous research confirmed the benefits of mindfulness for cancer patients' psychological well-being, but few studies considered the value of possible distinct combinations of mindfulness skills. This study aimed to (1) identify distinct mindfulness profiles in cancer patients, (2) examine socio-demographic predictors of patients with distinct profiles, and (3) examine associations of mindfulness profiles with psychological outcomes and coping strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 245 people with heterogeneous types of cancer. Latent profile analysis was applied to identify distinct profiles of mindfulness. The Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars method was used to examine how mindfulness profiles related to socio-demographic characteristics, psychological outcomes, and coping strategies. Results: Four mindfulness profiles were identified: “average mindfulness” (50%), “judgmentally observing” (20%), “high mindfulness” (15%), and “non-judgmentally aware” (15%). Patients with “high mindfulness” profile tended to have higher educational attainment, and reported better psychological outcomes (i.e., low on depression and negative affect and high on positive affect) as well as better coping strategies (i.e., high positive reappraisal and low rumination). Conclusion: This study confirms the existence of distinct mindfulness profiles in cancer patients and suggest that patients high in mindfulness are the most adaptive.