Self-administered Meditation Application Intervention for Cancer Patients With Psychosocial Distress: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Cancer patients frequently experience mood disturbances, including anxiety and depression.
• Smartphone applications offer a novel approach for delivering and monitoring interventions like meditation.
• This study investigates a new mobile application designed to support cancer patients' mental well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a smartphone-based meditation application for cancer patients.
• To evaluate the impact of the meditation app on self-reported anxiety, depression, and other symptoms.
• To explore the association between meditation frequency/duration and symptom changes.

Main Methods:

• A 2-week randomized controlled trial comparing a meditation app group to a waitlist control group.
• Participants completed baseline and 2-week assessments, including symptom scales (ESAS-FS, HADS, PSQI) and app usage logs.
• Feasibility was determined by enrollment and adherence rates; symptom changes were analyzed using mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• The app demonstrated feasibility with a 61% enrollment and 71% adherence rate; participants found it useful and recommendable.
• A significant association was found between meditation session length and anxiety reduction, with 15-minute sessions being most effective.
• The meditation group showed significant improvements in fatigue, depression, anxiety, appetite, and overall distress compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• The pilot study confirms the feasibility and acceptability of using a meditation app for cancer patients.
• The meditation app showed promise in improving various symptom distress measures among users.
• Future research should focus on enhancing the app's usability and clinical effectiveness for cancer patients.