RCT of Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancer is a group of biologically similar cancers which cause deleterious impact, such as the complication of facial disfigurement which may increase the psychological vulnerability of patients due to the society\'s emphasis on physical attractiveness. The appearance of facial disfigurement can increase depression and reduced quality of life (QoL) in head and neck cancer patients. Among the positive psychology developed in cancer patients despite their negative experience of cancer and the adverse effects of its treatment are posttraumatic growth (PTG) and hope which may enhance the QoL of cancer patients. Several psychosocial interventions have been suggested to enhance positive psychology in cancer patients and increase in their QoL. Data is lacking on the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on enhancing positive psychology (such as PTG, optimism and hope) and QoL among head and neck cancer patients. This is a multicentre, 2-armed longitudinal double blind randomized control trial aimed to test the study hypotheses of: 1. Head and neck cancer patients in the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group reported significantly increase in posttraumatic growth (PTG), hope, optimism, and quality of life compared with those in the control group at post-intervention and 12 weeks after completion of intervention when compared with pre-intervention. 2. PTG, hope and optimism exerts partial mediation effects on the relationship between MBSR and quality of life among head and neck cancer patients.