Meditation improves mood, sleep in teenagers with cancer

Daily meditation can help improve mood and sleep in teenagers suffering or recuperating from cancer, a promising research shows.

Mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms associated with cancer in teenagers, according to the results of a clinical trial intervention led by researchers at University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital.

The process focuses on the present moment and the connection between the mind and body.

Adolescents living with cancer face not only the physical symptoms of their condition but also the anxiety and uncertainty related to the progression of the disease and the anticipation of physical and emotional pain related to illness and treatment.

The researchers asked 13 adolescents with cancer to complete questionnaires covering mood (positive and negative emotions, anxiety and depression), sleep and quality of life.

The group was divided in two. The first group of eight adolescents were offered eight mindfulness-based meditation sessions and the remaining five adolescents in the control group were put on a wait-list.

After the last meditation session, patients from both groups filled out the same questionnaires a second time.

“We found that teenagers that participated in the mindfulness group had lower scores in depression after our eight sessions. Girls from the mindfulness group reported sleeping better. We also noticed that they developed mindfulness skills to a greater extent than boys during the sessions,” explained Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise from University of Montreal.

The mindfulness-based interventions for teenagers with cancer appear as a promising option to lighten psychological inconveniences of living with cancer, she added.