Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in managing fatigue, anxiety, and depression among non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy: A randomized controlled trial

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: P < 0.05 for fatigue; P < 0.01 for anxiety and depression

• Effect Size: Not reported

• Primary Outcome: Fatigue levels returned close to baseline by 3 months in MBSR group while remaining elevated in control group

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data

• Confidence Interval: Not reported

Clinical Application

MBSR programs require trained facilitators and patient time commitment but are generally feasible in cancer care settings Complementary to existing psycho-oncology services; may be suitable for integration into multidisciplinary cancer care teams as per Cancer Australia guidelines NSCLC patients undergoing multimodal treatment with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy often experience debilitating physical and psychological symptoms, including cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has emerged as a complementary intervention to alleviate these burdens and enhance quality of life, but evidence in NSCLC populations remains limited. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial enrolled 80 NSCLC patients, evenly divided into an MBSR group and a Control group. The MBSR group underwent an 8-week mindfulness program, while the Control group received standard care. Outcomes, including fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale), anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale), depression (Self-Rating Depression Scale), self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale), and mindfulness awareness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), were assessed at 4 time points: baseline (before surgery), at the fourth week (before chemotherapy), and at 1 and 3 months post-intervention. Statistical analyses included repeated-measures ANOVA and t tests to evaluate group differences. RESULTS: The MBSR group demonstrated significant improvements across all outcomes compared to the Control group. Fatigue levels in the MBSR group peaked at the fourth week but returned close to baseline levels by 3 months post-intervention, while the Control group maintained elevated fatigue scores (P < .05). Anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale) and depression (Self-Rating Depression Scale) scores significantly decreased in the MBSR group by the fourth week and continued to improve at subsequent time points (P < .01). Self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale) and mindfulness awareness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale) showed consistent improvements in the MBSR group, with significant differences evident at 1 and 3 months post-intervention (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness-based stress reduction effectively reduced fatigue, anxiety, and depression while enhancing self-efficacy and mindfulness awareness in NSCLC patients undergoing surgery and chemotherapy. These findings support the integration of mindfulness-based interventions into routine care to improve patient well-being during and after treatment.

References

1. 1.Liu, X., Chen, H., Cheng, Y., Xu, X., Shixing, H., He, M., & Luo, Y. (2026). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in managing fatigue, anxiety, and depression among non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine, Article 0000000000048134. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000048134