Mindful breathing for cancer pain: efficacy of a single 20-minute session - a randomised controlled study.

Objectives: Cancer pain is a prevalent and challenging symptom affecting a significant number of patients globally, with inadequate control remaining a substantial challenge despite advancements in pain management. Non-pharmacological interventions, including mindfulness-based approaches, have shown promise in alleviating cancer-related pain. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing in reducing pain among patients with cancer.

Mindfulness-based supportive therapy on reducing suffering in patients with advanced cancer: randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: Suffering is common among patients with advanced cancer. The practice of mindfulness during patient care can potentially reduce suffering. We aimed to examine the efficacy of mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST) on reducing suffering in patients with advanced cancer.

COVID-19, Suffering and Palliative Care: A Review.

According to the WHO guideline, palliative care is an integral component of COVID-19 management. The relief of physical symptoms and the provision of psychosocial support should be practiced by all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. In this review, we aim to provide a simple outline on COVID-19, suffering in COVID-19, and the role of palliative care in COVID-19.

Mindful gratitude journaling: psychological distress, quality of life and suffering in advanced cancer: a randomised controlled trial.

Context: Numerous studies have shown that gratitude can reduce stress and improve quality of life.

Objective: Our study aimed to examine the effect of mindful gratitude journaling on suffering, psychological distress and quality of life of patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: We conducted a parallel-group, blinded, randomised controlled trial at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia.

The effect of 5-min mindfulness of love on suffering and spiritual quality of life of palliative care patients: A randomized controlled study.

Objective: Suffering is a common experience in palliative care. In our study, we aimed to determine the effect of 5-min mindfulness of love on suffering and the spiritual quality of life of palliative care patients.

Methods: We conducted a parallel-group, blinded, randomized controlled study at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia from February 2019 to April 2019.

Happiness at the end of life: A qualitative study.

Objective: Dying is mostly seen as a dreadful event, never a happy experience. Yet, as palliative care physicians, we have seen so many patients who remained happy despite facing death. Hence, we conducted this qualitative study to explore happiness in palliative care patients at the University of Malaya Medical Centre.

The Effect of 5-Minute Mindfulness of Peace on Suffering and Spiritual Well-Being Among Palliative Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Background: Mindfulness practices may have a role in reducing suffering and improving spiritual well-being among patients with serious illness. The efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of such interventions warrant further exploration in the palliative care population.

Objective: To investigate the effect of a brief mindfulness practice, the 5-minute mindfulness of peace intervention, on suffering and spiritual well-being among palliative care patients.

Hope in Palliative Care: A Thematic Analysis.

Hope is a positive coping mechanism that is important at all stages of illness, more so for palliative care patients. To explore the experiences of hope of palliative care patients. A qualitative study was conducted at University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Symptom reduction in palliative care from single session mindful breathing: a randomised controlled trial.

Context: There has been increasing evidence of the role of mindfulness-based interventions in improving various health conditions. However, the evidence for the use of mindfulness in the palliative care setting is still lacking.

Objectives: The objective of our study was to determine the efficacy of a single session of 20 min mindful breathing in alleviating multiple symptoms in palliative care.

Contributing and Relieving Factors of Suffering in Palliative Care Cancer Patients: A Descriptive Study.

To palliate suffering, understanding the circumstances leading to suffering and its amelioration could be helpful. Our study aimed to explore contributing and relieving factors of suffering in palliative care. Adult palliative care stage III or IV cancer in-patients were recruited from University of Malaya Medical Centre.

The experiences of suffering of end-stage renal failure patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.

Background: The population of end-stage renal failure (ESRF) receiving dialysis treatment is increasing worldwide. For most patients with ESRF, dialysis can extend their life. However, treatment can be demanding and time-consuming.

The Effect of 20-Minute Mindful Breathing on the Perception of Suffering and Changes in Bispectral Index Score in Palliative Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study.

A randomized controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 20-minute mindful breathing in suffering reduction. Forty palliative care patients with an overall suffering score of 4 or above as measured with the Suffering Pictogram were recruited and randomly assigned to 20-minute mindful breathing or 20-minute supportive listening. There was statistically significant reduction of suffering score in both the groups.

Mindfulness: A New Paradigm of Psychosocial Care in the Palliative Care Setting in Southeast Asia.

Alleviation of suffering in palliative care needs a combination of good symptom control and psychosocial care. The capacity of mindfulness to promote psychological flexibility opens up possibilities of creating a paradigm shift that can potentially change the landscape of psychosocial care. In this review, we attempt to introduce 4 methods to establish mindfulness based on 'The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness', a core text of Theravada Buddhism, followed by a brief comparison of the concepts and practices of mindfulness in different cultures and religions in Southeast Asia.

The Suffering Pictogram: Measuring Suffering in Palliative Care.

Background: Measuring suffering objectively presents a challenge because suffering is a unique and subjective experience. However, objective tools are of profound importance in the detection and management of suffering in clinical practice for optimal patient care.

Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the psychometric properties of the Suffering Pictogram, a new suffering assessment instrument on a population of palliative care patients.

Psychological processes of suffering of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.

Unlabelled: Although suffering in palliative care has received increasing attention over the past decade, the psychological processes that underpin suffering remain relatively unexplored.

Objective: To understand the psychological processes involved in the experiencing of suffering at the end phase of life.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 palliative care inpatients from an academic medical centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Distress Reduction for Palliative Care Patients and Families With 5-Minute Mindful Breathing: A Pilot Study.

A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 5-minute mindful breathing in distress reduction. Twenty palliative care patients and family caregivers with a distress score ≥4 measured by the Distress Thermometer were recruited and randomly assigned to mindful breathing or "listening" (being listened to). Median distress reductions after 5 minutes were 2.

Pediatric palliative care: using miniature chairs to facilitate communication.

Good communication is essential but sometimes challenging in pediatric palliative care. We describe 3 cases whereby miniature chairs made of various materials and colors were used successfully to encourage communication among pediatric patients, family, and health care professionals. This chair-inspired model may serve as a simple tool to facilitate complex discussions and to enable self-expression by children in the pediatric palliative care setting.

The experiences of suffering of palliative care informal caregivers in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.

A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 15 palliative care informal caregivers in University Malaya Medical Centre. The data were thematically analyzed. Seven basic themes were generated (1) empathic suffering, (2) anticipatory grief, (3) obsessive-compulsive suffering, (4) helpless-powerless suffering, (5) obligatory suffering, (6) impedimental suffering, and (7) repercussion suffering.

The experiences of suffering of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.

A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 20 adult palliative care inpatients of University Malaya Medical Centre. The results were thematically analyzed. Ten basic themes were generated (1) loss and change → differential suffering, (2) care dependence → dependent suffering, (3) family stress → empathic suffering, (4) disease and dying → terminal suffering, (5) health care staff encounters → interactional suffering, (6) hospital environment → environmental suffering, (7) physical symptoms → sensory suffering, (8) emotional reactions → emotional suffering, (9) cognitive reactions → cognitive suffering, and (10) spiritual reactions → spiritual suffering.