The Effect of Training Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Rumination and Death Anxiety Amongst Women with Breast Cancer

The current research was conducted with the aim of the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness on rumination and death anxiety of women with breast cancer.This research was conducted as a semi-experimental type of pre-test and post-test with two experimental and control groups. The statistical population of the study included all females Women aged 20 to 50 years with breast cancer in the year 1399-1400 referring to shohada hospital in Tehran city, among 30 selected by the available sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. (15 people in each group). For the experimental group, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy was performed in 8 sessions for 1 hour in each session. Data were collected through Templer's death anxiety questionnaires and Nolen Hoeksma's mental rumination scale before and after the therapeutic intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24 and analysis of covariance.In the experimental group, after training in cognitive therapy based on mindfulness, the mean scores of rumination and death anxiety decreased from (42.87, 11.33) to (36.93, 9.26), respectively, which was significant. (P<0.01). While in the control group, this amount before intervention (42.24, 10.73) and after (42.31, 10.80) was not significantly different (P>0.01). The results showed that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness is effective in reducing rumination and death anxiety in breast cancer patients. Therefore, this method can be used in medical centers to reduce the psychological problems of breast cancer patients.