Mindfulness in the Moment: A Five-Minute Meditation to Reduce COVID-19 Vaccination-Related Anxiety in Patients With Cancer.
Amy Caramore, Justin M O'Leary, Raymond E Baser, Jeanine Gordon, Margaret Barton-Burke, Kristen L Fessele, Jennifer R Majumdar
Clinical journal of oncology nursing January 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1188/26.CJON.S1.E17-E23 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many people with cancer experienced heightened anxiety. A brief, five-minute guided meditation, self-administered via personal mobile devices while waiting after a vaccination, significantly reduced acute anxiety more than usual care. Among 256 adult patients, 14% reported moderate to severe anxiety. The intervention is feasible for outpatient oncology settings and can be implemented by nurses to support emotional well-being.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Quasiexperimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 256 |
| Population | Adult patients with cancer |
| Intervention | guided meditation |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Covid-19 vaccines Collaboration Prevention |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | A five-minute guided meditation during the postvaccination waiting period significantly reduced acute anxiety compared to usual care. |
Abstract
Anxiety is a common psychosocial concern in people with cancer that was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mindfulness-based interventions can reduce anxiety; brief, scalable strategies are needed for clinical integration. This study aimed to assess anxiety in patients with cancer during COVID-19 vaccination and to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief meditation intervention self-administered during the postvaccination waiting period. A DNP-PhD team conducted a quasiexperimental study with 256 adult patients assigned to intervention or control groups based on clinic flow. The intervention group received a five-minute guided meditation via personal mobile devices, and anxiety was measured pre- and postvaccination. Some participants (14%) reported moderate to severe anxiety. The intervention group experienced significantly greater reductions in acute anxiety. The intervention reduced anxiety and can be implemented by oncology nurses to support emotional well-being in outpatient cancer care settings.