Relations of Mindfulness and Illness Acceptance With Psychosocial Functioning in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer and Caregivers.

“…experience, it is possible that mindfulness might also predict fewer maladaptive expressions of emotions, including less verbal aggression and conflictual communication patterns associated with relationship dissatisfaction (Barnes et al., 2007; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Carrère & Gottman, 1999).”

“Past research has found that women are more sensitive than men to emotional cues in relationships (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001); therefore, patients in the current study may have been more aware of the other person’s emotional states (e.g., degree of self-judgment, peaceful acceptance of the…”

“Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed with the four-item PROMIS Anxiety and Depression measures (Pilkonis et al., 2011).”

“…Group (ECOG) (Sørensen et al., 1993) Performance Status score of greater than 2 (able to do little activity), showed severe cognitive impairment (three or more errors on a six-item cognitive function screener) (Callahan et al., 2002), or were receiving hospice care at the time of enrollment.”

“Mindfulness and illness acceptance processes: Mindfulness was assessed with the short form of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Bohlmeijer et al., 2011).”

“Family caregivers play a critical role in patients’ adjustment to metastatic breast cancer and symptom management by providing considerable practical and emotional support (Badr et al., 2010; Grunfeld et al., 2004).”

“…have found that rates of distress in cancer caregivers are higher than the general U.S. population (Shaffer et al., 2017) and are similar to those of patients with cancer, with as many as 40% of caregivers showing clinically elevated anxiety or depressive symptoms (Mitchell et al., 2013).”

“…experience, it is possible that mindfulness might also predict fewer maladaptive expressions of emotions, including less verbal aggression and conflictual communication patterns associated with relationship dissatisfaction (Barnes et al., 2007; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Carrère & Gottman, 1999).”

“Based on interdependence theory (Lewis et al., 2006), the authors hypothesized that greater patient and caregiver mindfulness (i.e., nonjudging, nonreactivity, and acting with awareness) and illness acceptance would be associated with their own, as well as their partner’s, increased relationship…”

“Consistent with this notion, mindfulness-based interventions targeting maladaptive communication patterns in healthy romantic couples have led to improved relationship satisfaction (Carson et al., 2004).”

“Consistent with this hypothesis, studies have found that mental health and relational outcomes of patients with cancer and their caregivers are often moderately correlated (Hagedoorn et al., 2008; Hodges et al., 2005; Jacobs et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2008; Northouse et al., 2012).”

“Patients were ineligible if they had a self-reported Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) (Sørensen et al., 1993) Performance Status score of greater than 2 (able to do little activity), showed severe cognitive impairment (three or more errors on a six-item cognitive function screener)…”

“Consistent with this hypothesis, studies have found that mental health and relational outcomes of patients with cancer and their caregivers are often moderately correlated (Hagedoorn et al., 2008; Hodges et al., 2005; Jacobs et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2008; Northouse et al., 2012).”

“Mindfulness practices may lead to better relational outcomes by improving emotion regulation, including awareness of one’s reactions to stressful circumstances (Boyle et al., 2017; Roemer et al., 2015).”

“On the other hand, dyads who engage in mutual avoidance and unsupportive behaviors, such as hiding concerns and dismissing worries, report worse relationship functioning, mental health, and quality of life (Badr et al., 2010; Drabe et al., 2013; Traa et al., 2015).”

“Studies suggest that mindfulness is associated with increased receptive attentiveness and empathic communication, both of which are related to greater relationship satisfaction (Barnes et al., 2007; Wachs & Cordova, 2007).”

“These subscales were selected because of their relationships to symptom and mental health outcomes in previous studies of patients with cancer (Cash & Whittingham, 2010; Poulin et al., 2016).”

“…with cancer and their spousal caregivers who collectively engage in constructive cancer-related communication and supportive behaviors (i.e., behaviors that take into account the other person’s responses and emotions) report better relationship quality (Manne & Badr, 2008; Traa et al., 2015).”

“Among spousal caregivers of women with advanced breast cancer, distress is, on average, clinically significant, with more caregivers showing elevated distress than patients (Hasson-Ohayon et al., 2010).”

“Mindfulness and illness acceptance have also been related to more self-compassion, the ability to be kind to oneself in the face of personal suffering, which may lead to improved mental health (Boyle et al., 2017; Sirois et al., 2015).”

“Theory suggests that mindfulness may be an interpersonal process, such that greater mindfulness in one partner may lead to improved perceptions of relationship quality in the other partner (Karremans et al., 2017).”

“Consistent with this hypothesis, studies have found that mental health and relational outcomes of patients with cancer and their caregivers are often moderately correlated (Hagedoorn et al., 2008; Hodges et al., 2005; Jacobs et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2008; Northouse et al., 2012).”

“…experience, it is possible that mindfulness might also predict fewer maladaptive expressions of emotions, including less verbal aggression and conflictual communication patterns associated with relationship dissatisfaction (Barnes et al., 2007; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Carrère & Gottman, 1999).”

“However, patients’ anxiety and depressive symptoms were similar to the levels reported by a representative sample of patients with metastatic breast cancer in the United States (Jensen et al., 2017).”

“Cancer caregivers tend to experience more strain when patients have greater physical and psychological symptoms (Huang & McMillan, 2019; Johansen et al., 2018).”

“Findings converge with previous research linking mindfulness and illness acceptance to better mental health in patients with cancer and caregivers (Birnie et al., 2010; Tang et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2019).”

“Mindfulness refers to the capacity to approach present-moment experiences without getting caught up in judgment (Kabat-Zinn, 1994), whereas illness acceptance refers to a sense of peace in confronting mortality and losses associated with the illness (Mack et al., 2008).”

“Growing evidence supports the efficacy of mindfulness-based training programs in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with cancer and their caregivers (Bimie et al., 2010; Milbury et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2019).”

“It is estimated that cancer caregivers provide an average of 33 hours per week of care (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2016), and their extensive involvement in patient care may affect their own physical, social, and psychological well-being (Kim et al., 2015; Skalla et al., 2013).”

“Consistent with this hypothesis, studies have found that mental health and relational outcomes of patients with cancer and their caregivers are often moderately correlated (Hagedoorn et al., 2008; Hodges et al., 2005; Jacobs et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2008; Northouse et al., 2012).”

“(Lawrence et al., 1998).”

“Mindfulness has also been linked to better relationship quality through higher levels of partner acceptance and perceived responsiveness to their concerns (Adair et al., 2018; Kappen et al., 2018).”

“Consistent with this notion, prior research has linked greater mindfulness to better perceived relationship quality; however, most of these studies were conducted with healthy couples, and analyses were non-dyadic (Kozlowski, 2013).”

“Mindfulness and illness acceptance have also been related to more self-compassion, the ability to be kind to oneself in the face of personal suffering, which may lead to improved mental health (Boyle et al., 2017; Sirois et al., 2015).”

“Lower levels of mindfulness and illness acceptance have been associated with worse mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer (Chambers et al., 2016; Thompson et al., 2009; Xu et al., 2017).”

“Findings converge with previous research linking mindfulness and illness acceptance to better mental health in patients with cancer and caregivers (Birnie et al., 2010; Tang et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2019).”

“The parent trial design, methods, and intervention effects on patient outcomes have been published previously (Mosher et al., 2018).”

“These subscales were selected because of their relationships to symptom and mental health outcomes in previous studies of patients with cancer (Cash & Whittingham, 2010; Poulin et al., 2016).”

“Therefore, psychological and relational outcomes are hypothesized to be interrelated within patient-caregiver dyads (Park & Schumacher, 2014).”

“The lack of partner effects of mindfulness is consistent with the small amount of literature on couples coping with lung cancer and multiple sclerosis (Pakenham & Samios, 2013; Schellekens et al., 2017).”

“The current findings contribute to a small body of research suggesting that the benefits of mindfulness and illness acceptance processes are more intrapersonal than interpersonal in nature (Pakenham & Samios, 2013; Schellekens et al., 2017”

“Mindfulness has also been linked to better relationship quality through higher levels of partner acceptance and perceived responsiveness to their concerns (Adair et al., 2018; Kappen et al., 2018).”

“Meta-analyses have found that rates of distress in cancer caregivers are higher than the general U.S. population (Shaffer et al., 2017) and are similar to those of patients with cancer, with as many as 40% of caregivers showing clinically elevated anxiety or depressive symptoms (Mitchell et al.,…”

“Caregiving theory suggests that patients and their family caregivers engage in an evolving negotiation regarding the rules and expectations of their new relationship (Coeling et al., 2003).”

“On the other hand, dyads who engage in mutual avoidance and unsupportive behaviors, such as hiding concerns and dismissing worries, report worse relationship functioning, mental health, and quality of life (Badr et al., 2010; Drabe et al., 2013; Traa et al., 2015).”

“The third study included couples coping with chronic pain and found that spouses’ mindfulness was positively associated with patients’ relationship satisfaction and perceived partner responsiveness, but the couple was not the unit of analysis (Williams & Cano, 2014).”

“In addition, mindfulness training for patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers improved caregiver perceptions of family communication (Johns et al., 2020).”

“It is estimated that cancer caregivers provide an average of 33 hours per week of care (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2016), and their extensive involvement in patient care may affect their own physical, social, and psychological well-being (Kim et al., 2015; Skalla et al., 2013).”

“Lower levels of mindfulness and illness acceptance have been associated with worse mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer (Chambers et al., 2016; Thompson et al., 2009; Xu et al., 2017).”

“In qualitative interviews, patients and caregivers also reported that the intervention strengthened their relationship (Cottingham et al., 2019).”

“Lower levels of mindfulness and illness acceptance have been associated with worse mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer (Chambers et al., 2016; Thompson et al., 2009; Xu et al., 2017).”

“Growing evidence supports the efficacy of mindfulness-based training programs in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with cancer and their caregivers (Bimie et al., 2010; Milbury et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2019).”

“Cancer caregivers tend to experience more strain when patients have greater physical and psychological symptoms (Huang & McMillan, 2019; Johansen et al., 2018).”

“…clinical practice through the development and facilitation of resilience supporting and acceptance-based health interventions such as art making 48 and mindfulness, 49 which can promote a focus on everyday life, humanize the lived experience, and facilitate FCG emotional and spiritual well-being.”

“For example, mindfulness has been positively associated with acceptance of illness [20] and self-efficacy [21] in women with breast cancer.”

“13 Limited research has focused on the experience of care partners as part of dyadic coping with MBC16 and especially in the new era of living with chronic MBC. 17 Additionally, studies of care partners have primarily focused on male spouse/partners, 16,18 however, family members have also been recognized as care part…”