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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for people with cancer and their carers

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer patients (MBCT- Ca; Bartley, 2012) is an adaptation of MBCT specifically tailored towards cancer patients. It has been developed through gradually refining the programme during routine delivery on Alaw Ward, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor over 10 years by Trish Bartley, in collaboration with Prof Nicholas Stuart (oncologist on Alaw Ward), Dr John Teasdale (co-developer of MBCT), and Ursula Bates (clinical psychologist specialising in oncology and palliative care).

Trish Bartley has written a book describing this programme (Bartley, 2012). The CMRP are collaborating with colleagues in the North Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health (NWORTH) and Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation (CHEME ) to secure funding to enable systematic research of the delivery of MBCT-Ca within the National Health Service (NHS).

Research Interests

We are interested in investigating the potential of MBCT-Ca as a routine intervention for people ho have received oncological treatment within the NHS. We hypothesise that the programme is effective in reducing depression and anxiety and enhancing quality of life and is a cost effective intervention.

Current research Projects

  • Cost effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer (MBCT-Ca): A Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Trial. Professor Rhiannon Tudor Edwards and Rebecca Crane are supervising a PhD student (Lucy Bryning) in an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of MBCT-Ca. Funded by a Tenovus studenthip.
  • Investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer (MBCT-Ca) in improving quality of life in patients with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer. We are collaborating with Dr.Rehan Kazi, Institute of Head & Neck Studies & Education (InHANSE), University Hospital Coventry in submitting a bid to fund a pilot study of MBCT-Ca in this group.
  • Feasibility of conducting a Randomised Controlled Trial of MBCT-Ca – in preparation for a bid to fund a multi centre study we are collecting pilot data on the feasibility of this research (investigating issues such as acceptability of research process for patients, how the selected measures perform, recruitment of research participants), and on the teacher formation process (investigating the process of developing skills in delivering MBCT-Ca)

Relevant publications involving Bangor University

Bartley, T., (2012) Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer: Gently Turning Towards. Oxford:Wiley-Blackwell

Tudor Edwards, R., Bryning, L., Crane, R.S, (2014) Design of Economic Evaluations of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Ten Methodological Questions of Which to Be Mindful, Mindfulness, download