Lixin Han

Date of Completion

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Nursing

Keywords

Anxiety, Cancer, Telemedicine

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is known to cause deep distress and negative emotions, and the researcher wanted to determine the effect of a tele-mindfulness-based intervention on anxiety of cancer patients. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 epidemic, telemedicine services are particularly important, which affect the medical consultation and the care of cancer patients. Through telemedicine, the inconvenience of patients visiting hospitals and nursing problems can be solved.

Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design method. Forty participants were randomly divided into treatment group and comparison group, with 20 people in each group, who filled-out general profile questionnaires (for age, gender, education level, marital status, time of diagnosis, chemotherapy stage and used the SAS Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale before and after the intervention. The treatment group was given tele-mindfulness-based intervention while the comparison group was not. After the intervention, the anxiety levels of each group were tested again and compared with each other and the effect of tele-mindfulness- based intervention on the anxiety of cancer patients was evaluated.

Results: Among the 40 participants, 18 or 45 % were male and 22 or 55 % were female; 11 or 27.5 % were 19-40 years old, 20 or 50% were 41-65 years old, and 9 or 22.5 % were over the age of 66;15 or 37.5 % had primary education, 15 or 37.5 % had middle education and 10 or 25 % had a university education; or 20% were married,

21 or 52.5% were single, 6 or 15% were divorced, and 5 or 12.5% were widowed;15 or 37.5% underwent induction therapy,11 or 27.5% minimal residual disease, 9 or 22.5% post-remission therapy, and 5 or 12.5% were under preventive treatment.; 11 or 27.5% were diagnosed within one month after diagnosis, 18 or 45% were 2- 3 months, and 11 or 27.5% were more than three months. Most of the participants were women, aged 41-65 years old, with primary or middle education level, single., under chemotherapy induction therapy phase and diagnosed in 2-3 months. Among the 20 participants in the treatment group and the comparison group, 5 had mild anxiety and 15 had moderate anxiety before the tele-mindfulness-based intervention. After the intervention, 10 of the 20 participants in the treatment group had mild anxiety and 10 had moderate anxiety. Before the intervention, 7 of the 20 participants in the comparison group had mild anxiety and 13 had moderate anxiety. After the intervention, 5 of the 20 participants in the comparison group had mild anxiety and 15 had moderate anxiety.

There was no significant difference in the treatment group before and after the tele-mindfulness-based intervention (t=1.698, p=0.106 P>0.05)), and there was a significant difference in the comparison group before and after the tele- mindfulness-based intervention (t=-3.266, p=0.004, p<0.05)

Before the tele-mindfulness-based intervention, there was no difference in the anxiety score between the treatment group and the comparison group (t=0.000, value=1.000). After the tele-mindfulness-based intervention, the average score and standard deviation of the anxiety score in the treatment group were lower than the comparison group (t=-1.401, p=0.177, p>0.005).

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that a tele-mindfulness-based intervention has no significant effect on the anxiety of cancer patients. It is recommended to extend the intervention time in future studies to determine whether tele- mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety among cancer patients is effective.

First Advisor

Marjorie Fay P. Sta. Maria

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