This study, published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine (August 2009), assessed "the efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation therapy on anxiety, depression, and
spiritual well-being of Japanese patients undergoing anticancer
treatment. A secondary goal was to assess the relationships among
anxiety, depression, spiritual well-being, growth, appreciation, pain,
and symptoms." The subjects participated in two sessions of
mindfulness-based meditation therapy, including breathing, yoga
movement and meditation. The study concluded: "Mindfulness-based
meditation therapy may be effective for anxiety and depression in
Japanese cancer patients, and spiritual well-being is related to
anxiety and depression, growth, and pain. The negative correlation of
spirituality with growth differs from the results of previous studies
and the mechanism of this effect needs to be investigated further."
Full abstract: PubMed.
