The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Coping Attitudes, Cancer-Related Empowerment, and Self-Compassion in Women Diagnosed with Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program on coping attitudes, self-compassion, and cancer-related empowerment among women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.Methods and Methods: A total of 80 women participated in this quasi-experimental study and were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=40) or the control group (n=40). The intervention group received an eight-week MBCT program in a group format, while the control group did not receive any psychological intervention. All participants were assessed before and after the intervention using the Coping Attitudes Scale (CAS), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and the Cancer Empowerment Scale (CES). Due to the violation of parametric assumptions, data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann–Whitney U test.Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in coping attitudes, self-compassion, and empowerment levels within the intervention group (p < .05). Notably, the increase in self-compassion may be attributed to the gender- and culturally sensitive structure of the intervention delivered in the Turkish context.Conclusions: These findings suggest that mindfulness-based group interventions may serve as an effective psychosocial approach for supporting psychological well-being in female cancer patients. In addition to reducing psychological symptoms, the MBCT program enhanced coping flexibility and internal empowerment. The integration of gender-sensitive mindfulness-based interventions into oncology services is strongly recommended.