Langer Mindfulness Intervention for Men with Prostate Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

 The Mind Research Foundation conducts and supports Research that is in-line with the foundation’s prime areas of operation, which may help find newer avenues and applications. A research study is already being conducted at PGIMER Chandigarh with investigators from the Department of Psychology, Harvard University and the Department of Urology, PGIMER.

 In the first of its kind and unique collaborative effort MRF has brought together PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Research) Chandigarh and Boston (United States of America) based “Langer Mindfulness Institute” headed by Dr. Ellen Langer, Ph.D., a social psychologist and the first female professor to gain tenure in the Psychology Department at Harvard University. As an organization focusing on Mind and Thought research, MRF in collaboration with The Langer Mindfulness Institute is conducting a research with PGIMER on “Mindfulness Based Interventions for Men with Prostate Cancer”.

At MRF; we firmly believe that inclusive and partnership approaches in research and service development can help to meet the needs of both people, who use health care services, and people and organizations who provide them.

Inspired by the Vision of touching people’s life and a strong commitment towards improving people’s health and reducing mental suffering caused by physical disorders ;the research is only a step  forward to many similar initiatives that the foundation is taking in this direction. The Foundation is further working on evolving strategies to offer diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in the field of Mental Health and Neurosciences utilizing the advances in latest technology and research which is an area that needs immense attention and effort.

 

About The Study

 Prostate cancer (PCA) is the most common malignancy and a major cause of death in men but, importantly, a substantial proportion will live for several years following diagnosis. However, they face the prospect of experiencing symptoms, side-effects of treatment and diminished quality of life. The patient’s psychological adjustment is particularly complex, given the potential trajectory of the disease, from the point of diagnosis, with its immediate impact, to the phase of palliative care, with its attendant issue of facing mortality. To date very few psychological intervention research specifically targeting men with prostate cancer has been reported.

Recent advances in clinical treatments aimed at improving the health of people with a chronic disorder are based on the concept of mindfulness. We define the core concept of mindfulness as a flexible state of mind resulting from active engagement in the present and being sensitive to context and perspective. In over 35 years of research it has been seen demonstrated that a higher state of mindfulness correlates with an improved quality of life in both physiological and psychological terms.

 Aim(s) & Objectives: We aim to investigate the impact of a mindfulness training on the quality of life of people with prostate cancer. We expect two types of effects: – an improvement of the psychological well-being; – a reduction of the physical symptomatology.