Purpose: Young adult (YA) cancer survivors report substantial distress, social isolation, and body image concerns that can impede successful reintegration into life years after treatment completion. Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) interventions focus on developing mindfulness and self-compassion for managing distress, hardships, and perceived personal inadequacies. An MSC intervention would be beneficial in supporting YA survivors' management of psychosocial challenges that arise in survivorship; however, a telehealth intervention modality is essential for reaching this geographically dispersed population. We conducted a single-arm feasibility study of an MSC 8-week videoconference intervention for nationally recruited YA survivors (ages 18-29).
Methods: The MSC intervention was group-based, 90-minute videoconference sessions, held weekly over 8 weeks, with audio-supplemented home practice. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed via attendance rate and an intervention satisfaction scale. Baseline to post-intervention changes in psychosocial outcomes (body image, anxiety, depression, social isolation, posttraumatic growth, resilience, self-compassion, mindfulness) were assessed using paired t tests and Cohen's d effect sizes.
Results: Thirty-four participants were consented and 25 attended a videoconference group. Feasibility was established with 84% attending at least six of the eight sessions, and intervention acceptability was high (M = 4.36, SD = 0.40, score range = 1-5). All psychosocial outcomes, except for resilience, demonstrated significant changes (p < 0.002), with medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 0.5).
Conclusion: YA survivors are interested in receiving an MSC videoconference intervention. Feasibility, acceptance, and potential psychosocial benefits of the intervention were demonstrated. Findings can be applied toward the design of an efficacy randomized controlled trial to improve quality of life for YA survivors in transition after cancer treatment.
Keywords: Feasibility study; Intervention; Mindfulness; Self-compassion; Videoconference; Young adult cancer survivors.