The role of sexual mindfulness in enhancing sexual well-being among breast cancer survivors

Background: Patients with a wide range of sexual disorders are vulnerable to negative sexual well-being due to complications from breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to investigate the impact of sexual mindfulness-based training on the sexual well-being of women with breast cancer. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted in 2024 and involved a statistical population of women with breast cancer who had consulted comprehensive health service centers in Shahrekord, Iran. Among the referring women, 36 people were selected by convenience sampling. To investigate depression in the participants, the short-form Beck Depression Questionnaire was used, and 4 patients were excluded from the study due to severe depression. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to 2 study groups of 16 patients. Sexual mindfulness training was conducted in 8 sessions (90 minutes, once a week) for the intervention group at the reproductive and sexual health clinic in Shahrekord. Meanwhile, the control group was not subjected to planned intervention or training. A sexual well-being questionnaire was used to collect data for repeated measures analysis. Both groups were asked to complete the sexual well-being questionnaire before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed through independent samples T -test, analysis of covariance, and repeated measures analysis. Results: The findings showed that there was no significant difference in sexual well-being between the intervention and control groups before the intervention ( P = .29). Immediately after the intervention, sexual well-being significantly increased in the intervention group, from 39.33 ± 25.56 to 56.17 ± 22.29 ( P < .001); however, the corresponding between-group comparison was not statistically significant ( P = .11). Three months after the intervention, sexual well-being was significantly higher in the intervention group (66.42 ± 13.79) than in the control group (51.92 ± 20.62; P < .001). Conclusion: Sexual Mindfulness can be considered a therapeutic method in palliative care to improve sexual well-being in breast cancer patients.