Effectiveness of mindfulness training on psychological well-being of patients suffering from breast cancer

Pages:387-390
Phooljani Ghosh and Tilottama Mukherjee (Department of Psychology, Calcutta University, Kolkata)

In recent years, psychology has spread its wings and left its undeniable marks into many areas. Psycho-oncology is one such area where it works on assessing the mental states of cancer patients and offering ways to reduce stress. The term Cancer immediately causes fear and hopelessness among patients. Among women, Breast cancer is a major cause of mortality across the world. Breast cancer triggers wide range of adverse psychological conditions; both as emotional reactions to the disease and as the side effects of the treatment modules. Factors like pain, nausea, vomiting, decreased sleep are natural side effects of the cancer treatment, but when it comes with psychological reactions such as anger, hopelessness, helplessness, anxiety, depression, fear of relapse, the journey through the disease course becomes unbearable. In last few years, patients have shown in increased amount of interest on alternative and complementary medicine and intervention procedures and Mindfulness has proved to be the choice of many. Mindfulness has its root in Eastern Spiritual beliefs and it works on the unity of mind and body as a whole. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) module is devised and designed so to reduce stress and to improve a person’s quality of life. Mindfulness is an attribute of consciousness long believed to promote well-being. Mindfulness meditation as a means of relaxation, reduction of psychological distress, and symptom control has a demonstrated utility across a spectrum of health care concerns including cancer. Purchase PDF
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