The Impact of Mindful Compassion on Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life in Home Hospice Care
NCT ID: NCT07296796
Last Updated: 2025-12-22
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
22 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-08-08
2025-10-01
Brief Summary
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Very few evidence based online interventions have been developed to address sexual difficulties post cancer treatments and in hospice at home care. This extends to well being and quality of life. Mindful compassion interventions has been based on a behavioural taxonomy to support the reliability of their delivery. Indeed, this study aims to identify and describe the key components and behaviour change techniques as part of the online intervention. These have been mapped to a behaviour change taxonomy with the view of supporting standardisation for future trial implementation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an online mindful compassion intervention using the 3 system model of emotions among a post cancer treatment group in hospice care, at the end of life, to improve quality of life. The study intends to provide preliminary estimates of pre-post intervention on a waitlist controlled randomised controlled trial looking at well being, sexual function, mindfulness and self compassion.
Quantitatively, the research is structured so that participants will be randomised to either the active experimental or delayed group. This intervention will be weekly for approximately 1 to 2 hours over 4 weeks. This A follow up at 12 weeks will be taken to determine the sustainability of this intervention. Feedback questions will also be given during the delivery of the intervention.
Detailed Description
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The quality of life in palliative care and hospice is vital, given the challenges faced by patients, caregivers, practitioners, families, and partners. It includes overall well being, covering physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects. Palliative care provides essential support when addressing the biopsychosocial components of quality of life. However, issues emerge when discussing sex. Despite recognition by organisations such as Marie Curie and Macmillan, there seems to be a reluctance to raise awareness or support research on this topic.
A range of psychosocial interventions is available for individuals after cancer treatment. An increasingly popular approach involves using mindfulness and mindful compassion to support psychosexual functioning. Mindful compassion has been utilised in psychosexual services, including various sexual issues such as sexual pain disorder. Indeed, the three systems model can be used to map out, validate, and normalise different emotional experiences as well as to illustrate how they can influence sexual arousal and enjoyment.
Research on mindfulness and mindful compassion for women after cancer treatments is limited and remains scarce among those in hospice end of life care. This is a sensitive but vital area, as sexual intimacy should not cease with a prognosis. The sense of connection to others is essential at the end of life, and this does not exclude sexual intimacy. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an online mindful compassion intervention, based on the 3 system model of emotions, among women with cancer and those receiving hospice care at home.
It was hypothesised that mindful compassion would improve sexual functioning, mindfulness, well-being, and quality of life among women following cancer treatment and in palliative care. Questionnaires were limited because the team did not want to overburden these women, as the focus was on the experience of brief mindful compassion.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
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Active group
Mindful compassion group provided over 4 weeks
Mindful compassion
Participants were encouraged to engage in at home exercises, including breathing exercises, diaries for sexual desire and fantasies, and mindfulness and self-compassion practices such as working on body image. This approach was guided by the 3 system model of emotions, where focusing on the mind and body helps identify physiological changes related to a perceived threat, cognitively recognising and attending to internal and external triggers, and incorporating mindful acceptance and compassion to address the critical inner voice. These techniques will be applied both to daily life and sexual intimacy.
Delayed group
Mindful compassion group commences at week 4 when the active group intervention terminates.
Mindful compassion
Participants were encouraged to engage in at home exercises, including breathing exercises, diaries for sexual desire and fantasies, and mindfulness and self-compassion practices such as working on body image. This approach was guided by the 3 system model of emotions, where focusing on the mind and body helps identify physiological changes related to a perceived threat, cognitively recognising and attending to internal and external triggers, and incorporating mindful acceptance and compassion to address the critical inner voice. These techniques will be applied both to daily life and sexual intimacy.
Interventions
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Mindful compassion
Participants were encouraged to engage in at home exercises, including breathing exercises, diaries for sexual desire and fantasies, and mindfulness and self-compassion practices such as working on body image. This approach was guided by the 3 system model of emotions, where focusing on the mind and body helps identify physiological changes related to a perceived threat, cognitively recognising and attending to internal and external triggers, and incorporating mindful acceptance and compassion to address the critical inner voice. These techniques will be applied both to daily life and sexual intimacy.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* We're receiving support and care
* Identified as female
* Registered with a healthcare service or charity
* Self-perceived satisfactory sexual intimacy before cancer diagnosis (Acquired)
* Aged 18 years or older
* Had a computer, laptop, mobile phone- intervention was online.
* Read and wrote English, as the intervention was delivered in English
* Patient Health Questionnaire 9 screening (score range from minimal to moderate, 0-14).
* Mental Capacity Mini Cog outcomes 3,4,5 (cognitive comprehension)
Exclusion Criteria
* Did not identify as female
* Were very late-stage palliative/hospice care in which capacity (medication) may be compromised, or discomfort is experienced
* Were aged below 18 years old
* Had reading and writing difficulties in English
* Had a moderate to severe to high Patient Health Questionnaire 9 screening score (ranging from moderate to severe 15-27).
* Mental Capacity Mini Cog outcomes 0,1,2 (problematic cognitive comprehension)
18 Years
100 Years
FEMALE
No
Sponsors
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London Metropolitan University
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Samantha Banbury
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
London Metropolitan University
Locations
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School of Social Sciences and Professions
London, , United Kingdom
Countries
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References
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Wislawski J, Kasperlik-Zaluska A, Bonicki W, Piotrowska B. [Microadenomas of the pituitary treated by a microsurgical method using the approach through the sphenoid sinus]. Pol Tyg Lek. 1987 Oct 5-12;42(40-41):1266-8. No abstract available. Polish.
Brotto LA, Dunkley CR, Breckon E, Carter J, Brown C, Daniluk J, Miller D. Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods to Evaluate an Online Psychoeducational Program for Sexual Difficulties in Colorectal and Gynecologic Cancer Survivors. J Sex Marital Ther. 2017 Oct 3;43(7):645-662. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2016.1230805. Epub 2016 Sep 3.
Davison SL. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Aug;24(4):215-20. doi: 10.1097/GCO.0b013e328355847e.
Jurin T, Sostaric M, Jokic-Begic N, Lauri Korajlija A. mSexHealth: An Overview of Mobile Sexual Health Applications. J Sex Marital Ther. 2023;49(2):129-140. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2022.2079576. Epub 2022 Jun 2.
Banbury S, Tharmalingam H, Lusher J, Erridge S, Chandler C. A Preliminary Investigation into the Use of Cannabis Suppositories and Online Mindful Compassion for Improving Sexual Function Among Women Following Gynaecological Cancer Treatment. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Dec 7;60(12):2020. doi: 10.3390/medicina60122020.
Bagherzadeh R, Sohrabineghad R, Gharibi T, Mehboodi F, Vahedparast H. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on rumination in patients with breast cancer. BMC Womens Health. 2022 Dec 28;22(1):552. doi: 10.1186/s12905-022-02124-y.
Borson S, Scanlan JM, Chen P, Ganguli M. The Mini-Cog as a screen for dementia: validation in a population-based sample. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Oct;51(10):1451-4. doi: 10.1046/j.1532-5415.2003.51465.x.
Sears C, Millman R, Brotto LA, Walker LM. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Group-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder Following Breast Cancer Treatment. J Sex Marital Ther. 2023;49(5):533-549. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2022.2154296. Epub 2022 Dec 27.
Smith EJ, Palevsky S. Salt poisoning in a two-year-old child. Am J Emerg Med. 1990 Nov;8(6):571-2. doi: 10.1016/0735-6757(90)90183-z. No abstract available.
Rosen R, Brown C, Heiman J, Leiblum S, Meston C, Shabsigh R, Ferguson D, D'Agostino R Jr. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): a multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. J Sex Marital Ther. 2000 Apr-Jun;26(2):191-208. doi: 10.1080/009262300278597.
Other Identifiers
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LondonsMU
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id