CLINICAL RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 5:30-6:15 PM
Carlson LE, Garland S, Cook S, Lansdell L, Speca M,
Goodey E.
Post-traumatic growth, spirituality and psychological
symptomatology in cancer outpatients participating in mindfulness-based
stress reduction and healing arts programs.
University of Calgary Department of Oncology l.carlson@ucalgary.ca
PURPOSE: Cancer diagnosis and treatment often
results in high levels of distress, but may also instigate a process
of personal growth. Psychosocial mind-body interventions may be a good
means of enhancing this process. Mindfulness-based stress reduction
(MBSR), a program combining mindfulness meditation and gentle hatha
yoga practice, has been used extensively by our group with hundreds
of cancer patients and previously shown to decrease stress symptoms,
improve mood, enhance quality of life, improve sleep and enhance immune
and endocrine function. Recently we have begun to assess aspects of
positive growth by measuring spirituality and benefit finding. Here
we compare the MBSR group with a new holistic program we recently developed
called Healing through the Creative Arts (HA). Its purpose is to use
the creative arts (journal writing, visual arts, movement to music)
to help cancer patients process emotions and improve physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual well-being.
METHODS: Cancer outpatients with a variety of
diagnoses participated in either a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
(MBSR, n=28) or Healing Arts (HA, n=34) program, and were assessed pre-
and post-intervention, with both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Measures used included the Symptoms of Stress Inventory (SOSI), Profile
of Mood States (POMS), Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Functional
Assessment of Cancer Treatmen—Spirituality module (FACT-Sp). Interviews
were analyzed for content with the N-6 qualitative software program.
The majority of participants were female, married and had breast cancer.
RESULTS: Participants in both groups improved
significantly over time on overall symptoms of stress (p<. 001) and
mood disturbance (p<.01), and trended towards improvements in post-traumatic
growth (p=.05). Participants in the MBSR group showed more improvement
than those in HA on measures of spirituality (p<.001), depression (p<.05)
and anger (p<.05). Personal interviews with participants from each program
helped to elucidate the effects of each program on spirituality and
benefit finding in the cancer experience.
CONCLUSIONS: These programs help to enhance
post-traumatic growth and benefit finding, as well as decrease psychological
symptomatology in cancer patients. MBSR may be more effective than HA
for enhancing spirituality. Participants in each program were able to
describe the process by which program participation promoted personal
growth and spirituality.
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