Effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on the Level of Depression and Mindful Attention Awareness among In-Patients with Cancer

Abstract

The diagnosis of cancer is viewed as a crisis. To cope with these fears, the patient with cancer may use and experience different behavioural patterns. Depression is the psychiatric syndrome that has received the most attention in individuals with cancer. The objectives of the present study were to assess the level of depression among in-patients with cancer; to assess the level of mindful attention awareness among in-patients with cancer; to assess the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on the level of depression and mindful attention awareness among in-patients with cancer; to find the association between the level of depression among in-patients with cancer and selected demographic and clinical variables and to find the association between the level of mindful attention awareness among in-patients with cancer and selected demographic and clinical variables. Quasi experimental pre test post test control group design was adopted. Data were collected from 60 in-patients with cancer using purposive sampling technique. Thirty were in the control group and other 30 where in experimental group. The result of the study showed that there was a significant decrease in the levels of depression among experimental group at P 0.01 level. There was a significant increase in the mindful attention awareness at P 0.01. There was a significant difference between post-test score of experimental and control group on depression and mindful attention awareness. There was significant association between selected demographic variables with the level of depression and Mindful attention awareness. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction technique was found to be effective in reducing the level of depression and in increasing the level of Mindful Attention Awareness among in-patients with cancer.