Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy for Cancer Patients

The purpose of this study is to determine whether cancer patients who receive the mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) program demonstrate improvement in health-related quality of life, a reduction in stress-related symptoms, and enhanced coping responses.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Mindfulness-based at therapy

Detailed Description

Psychosocial interventions, especially supportive-expressive group therapies, have been associated with significant improvements in health status, quality of life and coping behaviors, in patients with cancer. The purpose of the proposed pilot research study is to investigate a newly developed group therapy for cancer patients, MBAT. This proposed, randomized, controlled study follows a successful preliminary investigation of MBAT conducted at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. MBAT integrates known benefits of art therapy, group therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Each of these fundamentally different modalities has documented usefulness in the treatment of cancer patients. The multi-modal approach is designed to enhance both the supportive and expressive aspects of the group experience. The study will be done with 96 patients who have a variety of cancer types. Participants will be matched for age and assigned randomly to either the MBAT experimental group or a non-intervention control group. Both groups will continue to receive their usual oncologic/medical care. The MBAT program consists of eight weekly meetings of two and one half-hours in length. At the end of the eight weeks, participants in the control group will be crossed over to the experimental intervention arm for an additional eight weeks. Participants will be assessed pre- and post-intervention on measures of health-related quality of life, psychological distress, and coping, using standardized outcome instruments (SF-36, SCL-90-R and COPE). Our long-term goal is to collect sufficient data to determine the overall efficacy of this promising intervention and to identify which patients are particularly likely to benefit from MBAT.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 114
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107
      • Thomas Jefferson University Hospital/Kimmel Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion:

• Diagnosis of cancer or cancer recurrence within the past 2 years.
• Able to tolerate 8 weekly groups, 2 1/2 hours in length

Exclusion:

• Less than 4 months from original or recurrent diagnosis or beyond 2 years
• Physically unable to attend groups
• Non-stabilized major mental disorder
• Children
• Comprehension of written and spoken English at a level of less than 4th grade.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: ECT
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: FACTORIAL
• Masking: NONE

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel A. Monti, MD, Thomas Jefferson University; Study Director: Caroline Peterson, MA, Thomas Jefferson University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Reibel DK, Greeson JM, Brainard GC, Rosenzweig S. Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health-related quality of life in a heterogeneous patient population. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2001 Jul-Aug;23(4):183-92. doi: 10.1016/s0163-8343(01)00149-9.
• Speca M, Carlson LE, Goodey E, Angen M. A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients. Psychosom Med. 2000 Sep-Oct;62(5):613-22. doi: 10.1097/00006842-200009000-00004.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2002
• Study Completion: December 1, 2003

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 2, 2002
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 2, 2002
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): May 3, 2002

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): August 18, 2006
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2006
• Last Verified: July 1, 2006

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: quality of life; cancer; coping; meditation; outcomes research; patient oriented research; human therapy evaluation; stress management; alternative medicine; support; group therapy; neoplasm /cancer chemotherapy; art; holistic; combination cancer therapy; creative-expression; gender difference; psychological aspect of cancer; psychological stressor; racial /ethnic difference; behavioral /social science research
• Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT000683-01 (NIH)