Cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies for mental health and quality of life of breast cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: To evaluate the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapy (MBT), individually and in combination, on alleviating anxiety and depression, and improving quality of life (QoL) in breast cancer patients.

Methods: We searched PubMed and EMBASE for articles published up to April 6, 2025, using the keywords "randomized controlled trials (RCTs)", "cognitive-behavioral therapy", "mindfulness-based therapy", and "breast cancer". Pooled effects were expressed as standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Fifty-one RCTs were included. Compared with controls (usual care, wait-list control, etc.), CBT and MBT (analyzed separately or in combination) demonstrated significant benefits. The SMDs (95% CIs) were as follows: anxiety [CBT ( - 0.33,  - 0.52 to  - 0.14); MBT ( - 0.80,  - 1.16 to  - 0.45); combined ( - 0.55,  - 0.74 to  - 0.37)], depression [CBT ( - 0.31,  - 0.49 to  - 0.14); MBT ( - 0.80,  - 1.12 to  - 0.48); combined ( - 0.55,  - 0.73 to  - 0.37)] and QoL [CBT (0.38, 0.15 to 0.62); MBT (0.33, 0.11 to 0.55); combined (0.37, 0.20 to 0.53)]. MBT showed significantly greater efficacy than CBT for anxiety (p = 0.020) and depression (p = 0.009). Pooled effects of CBT and MBT were stronger for group-based and longer duration interventions (all outcomes), with effects on depression and QoL being especially strong in Asians. Face-to-face CBT outperformed internet-delivered CBT across all outcomes.

Conclusion: CBT and MBT, individually and combined, are effective for anxiety, depression, and QoL in breast cancer patients, with MBT demonstrating superior efficacy for anxiety and depression. The selection of psychological treatments for breast cancer patients should consider intervention method, ethnicity, intervention duration, and delivery format.