Comparison of the Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) on General Health Indicators in the Mothers of Children with Leukemia

Background and Purpose: The diagnosis of cancer in children causes a lot of anxiety and distress among their parents. Therefore, besides treating the children with cancer, it is essential to use efficient interventional techniques to enhance the mental health of their parents. The present study was conducted to compare the effect of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) on the general mental health indicators in the mothers of children with leukemia.    Method: The present study was a quasi-experimental research with pretest-posttest control group design. The sample consisted of 45 mothers of the children with cancer who had referred to the oncology ward of 17 Shahrivar hospital of Rasht in 2017. They were selected by convenience sampling and then assigned randomly into three groups of mindfulness therapy (n=15), relaxation training (n=15) and control group (n=15). Demographic questionnaire, interview, cancer diagnostic tests, and general health questionnaire were the instruments used in this research study. After the pretest, the two experimental groups received the interventions for two months (8 sessions of two hours), whereas the control group received no intervention. Then, all three groups were evaluated at the stages of posttest and follow up. Results: Data analysis by repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences between the groups in physical complaints (F= 6.622, P < 0.01), anxiety (F= 10.236, P<0.01), social dysfunction (F= 4.452, P<0.05) and depression (F= 10.866, P<0.01). The difference between the stages of pre-test, post-test, and follow-up was significant in anxiety (F= 46.681, P<0.01), social dysfunction (F= 12.610, P<0.05) and depression (F= 3.870, P< 0.05), but no significant difference was observed in physical complains (F= 1.720, P> 0.05). Conclusions: Results showed that there was no significant difference between MBCT and PMR in improving the general health indicators in mothers of children with leukemia; however, both methods were effective in improving the mental health of mothers. Mindfulness improves the mental health indicators in individuals through training the attention control and time management. Also, the relaxation caused plays a role in decreasing the stress, anxiety, and depression of individuals. Consequently, both methods can be used together to improve the general health of parents of children with cancer.