The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on resilience, quality of life, and tolerance of ambiguity in women with breast cancer

Investigating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in 8 sessions on quality of life, resilience, and tolerance of ambiguity in women with breast cancer

A quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a follow-up period with parallel groups, single-blind and randomized on 34 patients with breast cancer.

This study is being conducted at the Tabriz Pajhwok Association, in which 34 patients are randomly divided into two groups, and the experimental group receives 8 sessions of mindfulness therapy. The outcome assessors are blinded, and the therapists are not able to be blinded due to the nature of the intervention.

Inclusion criteria: Breast cancer Exclusion criteria: Having another medical condition or having severe psychiatric disorders and a history of receiving psychological interventions and taking psychiatric medications within the past 6 months

In the present study, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy will consist of 8 intervention sessions in which participants will be taught the basics of mindfulness and explaining the problem from this perspective, mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of daily activities including sexual activity, preventing mind wandering, identifying and accepting pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings and thoughts, and mindfulness of thoughts.

on resilience, quality of life, and tolerance of ambiguity

In this study, to ensure both random and equitable allocation of participants, a rigorous scientific method known as concealed random allocation will be employed. The procedure will be conducted as follows: after determining eligible individuals and finalizing their enrollment, an independent colleague not involved in any other aspects of the trial will pre-determine the allocation sequence using a standard table of random numbers. To safeguard against manipulation or prediction, this predetermined random sequence will be immediately secured within sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes. Crucially, only after a participant is definitively enrolled in the study and all their baseline data has been completely collected will the corresponding envelope be opened to reveal their final group assignment—either to the intervention or control group.

This study will implement a single-blind design where participants and outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation, while therapists will remain unblinded due to the psychological nature of the intervention.