Mindfulness-Based Spiritual Interventions for Patients with Advanced Cancer Receiving Palliative Care: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
In brief
Mindfulness programs that add spiritual elements improve psychological and spiritual well-being in advanced cancer patients
A systematic review of 13 randomized trials found that mindfulness-based interventions that explicitly include spiritual or meaning-centered components reduce anxiety, depression, and distress while boosting sense of meaning and peace for patients receiving palliative care. Benefits were seen in both hospital-based and remote formats, though study methods varied and standardized protocols are still needed.
- Journal
- Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare (Q2)
- Published
- 10 July 2026
- Study design
- Systematic review / meta-analysis of RCTs
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1a)
- Authors
- Friska Sinaga, Maria Komariah, Hartiah Haroen, Hana Rizmadewi Agustina
- PMID
- 42453540
- DOI
- 10.2147/JMDH.S616728
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (top studies of the week, 19 July 2026): Recent Complementary and Alternative Medicine research from a high-quartile journal.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Psychological and spiritual distress are highly prevalent in patients with advanced cancer, yet conventional interventions often fail to address their interconnected nature. While mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are widely used in oncology, their integration with spiritual or meaning-centered components remains insufficiently synthesized in high-level evidence. OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and characteristics of mindfulness-based spiritual interventions on psychological and spiritual outcomes in patients with advanced and palliative cancer. METHODS: A PRISMA-guided systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases (2015-2025). Eligible studies included adult patients with cancer receiving mindfulness-based interventions incorporating explicit spiritual, religious, or existential components. Methodological quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, and findings were synthesized using qualitative descriptive and narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Thirteen RCTs were included. The interventions were categorized into (1) hospital-based interventions and (2) remotely delivered interventions. Across these categories, five outcome domains were identified: psychological well-being (anxiety, depression, distress, quality of life), spiritual well-being (meaning, peace, faith, existential acceptance), attrition and treatment engagement, intervention acceptability, and mixed or inconsistent findings. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness-based interventions that explicitly integrate spiritual or meaning-centered elements offer a comprehensive approach to addressing multidimensional distress in advanced cancer. These findings suggest that integrative psycho-spiritual care models may be beneficial in oncology and palliative care. Future research should prioritize standardized intervention frameworks and mechanism-driven evaluation across diverse populations.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.