KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Applied Family Therapy Journal (AFTJ) 3041-8798 5 Serial Number 20 2024 03 01 Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Experiential Avoidance, Self-Compassion, and Physiological Indices in Women with Breast Cancer Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Experiential Avoidance, Self-Compassion, and Physiological Indices in Women with Breast Cancer 177 186 10.61838/kman.aftj.5.1.19 EN Journal Article <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to examine the impact of mindfulness training on experiential avoidance, self-compassion, and certain physiological indices in women diagnosed with breast cancer.</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> This applied research was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, and control group design. The population included all women with stage 1 and 2 breast cancer who were under medical care after completing chemotherapy or radiotherapy at Shahid Tajrish Hospital in 2020-2021. A convenience sampling method was used to select 40 female breast cancer patients, who were equally divided into an experimental group (20 participants) and a control group (20 participants). Data were collected using the Neff's Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), the Bond et al.'s Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (2011), and physiological indices. Mindfulness training, based on the protocol by Lengacher et al. (2019), consisted of 8 sessions of 90 minutes each for the experimental group, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> The results indicated that mindfulness training significantly increased self-compassion (F = 6.35, p &lt; .05) and decreased experiential avoidance (F = 4.75, p &lt; .05) in women with breast cancer. Additionally, the training significantly reduced cortisol levels (F = 7.38, p &lt; .05), but did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of IL-6 (F = 0.83, p &gt; .05) and CRP (F = 0.04, p &gt; .05).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Considering the current findings, it can be said that mindfulness training is effective in improving the psychological condition and reducing stress in women with breast cancer.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/aftj/article/download/2403/3242