The effect of mindfulness-based counseling on shame in women with human papillomavirus

This study evaluated the impact of mindfulness-based counseling on shame in women with Human Papillomavirus (HPV), addressing the gap in standardized mental health support and the often-overlooked emotional distress in HPV care. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2024 at Ayatollah Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan, Iran. Participants were recruited during routine visits and randomly assigned to intervention or control groups (70 per group) using block randomization. The intervention group received standard care plus eight weekly 90-minute mindfulness-based group counseling sessions (one in-person, seven virtual). The control group received standard medical care and health education. External shame was measured using Goss et al.'s Questionnaire. Data were analysed using independent- and paired-samples t-tests and baseline-adjusted ANCOVA, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. No significant baseline difference was observed between groups. After adjustment for baseline external shame, ANCOVA showed significantly lower post-intervention scores in the intervention group than in the control group (F = 56.03, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.292). Paired-samples t-tests showed significant within-group reductions in both the intervention (p < 0.001) and control (p = 0.011) groups (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that mindfulness-based counseling may have potential as a supportive psychosocial component of HPV care. Further research with longer follow-up periods and culturally sensitive approaches is needed to examine the durability of these findings and their applicability across diverse healthcare settings.