Journal: Clinical nursing research
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated whether mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) improve psychological outcomes in family caregivers of patients with cancer.
Design and methods:
- • Followed PRISMA 2020 and was prospectively registered.
- • Searched multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Google Scholar) for studies from 2010–2024.
- • Included randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing MBIs in family caregivers, focusing on stress, anxiety, and depression.
- • Risk of bias was appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute tools.
- • Ten studies were included (5 RCTs, 5 quasi-experimental).
Key findings:
- • Anxiety: MBIs significantly reduced anxiety compared with usual care or no intervention, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to strong across studies.
- • Depression: MBIs also significantly reduced depressive symptoms, though with smaller effect sizes than for anxiety.
- • Stress: Pooled analysis for stress did not show a statistically significant benefit, and heterogeneity was moderate to high.
- • Overall heterogeneity: Overall heterogeneity across outcomes was moderate, reflecting differences in caregiver populations, outcome measures, intervention format/content, duration, and delivery modality.
Conclusions and implications:
- • MBIs meaningfully improve psychological well-being in family caregivers of cancer patients by reducing anxiety and depression.
- • Evidence for stress reduction is less clear, in part due to variability among studies.
- • Incorporating MBIs into caregiver support programs is supported as a strategy to strengthen caregiver resilience and mental health.
- • Future work should refine and culturally adapt mindfulness interventions to enhance relevance and effectiveness in diverse caregiver groups.