Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for young adults with cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer diagnosis and treatment frequently involves physical and psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The young adult population with cancer face unique struggles including poignancy in relation to self-concept, identity formation, independence, role development, loss of independence, and time away from school and peers. Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being evaluated for individuals with a cancer diagnosis. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with aspects of cognitive behavioural therapy. This paper aims to briefly describe MBCT and its benefits and challenges in the young adult population with cancer. Method: An analysis of themes was conducted of post-intervention semi-structured interviews that were conducted with a subsample of 14 participants to gain more detailed information regarding their perception. Findings: Participants reported positive transformations including in how they cope. Conclusions: Although a small sample size limits its generalizability, this study provides further evidence that MBCT can be successful in treating psychological symptoms in young adults with cancer.