Research has shown that younger breast cancer survivors, who are more likely than older survivors to experience high levels of depression, can experience reduced symptoms when they practice mindfulness meditation and participate in survivorship classes, reports University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health.
The findings were presented at the virtual 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
For their analysis, UCLA researchers enrolled 247 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 50 or younger who had completed treatment between six months and five years earlier. At the study’s start, all had at least mild depressive symptoms.
Participants were randomly assigned to survivorship education, mindfulness meditation or a waiting list group. (Women on the waiting list got to choose the program they preferred at the study’s end). Participants who took part in the two intervention programs were compared with the women who didn’t receive any intervention during the study. [Read more…]