Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Smoking Cessation in People with cancer: Insights from Qualitative Data
Abstract
Background Continued tobacco use after a cancer diagnosis substantially worsens treatment outcomes and survival; yet, over 60% of people with cancer continue to smoke and fewer than 30% receive cessation support. Standard cessation approaches may fail to address the unique psychological context of cancer care, which includes cancer-related distress, perceived loss of autonomy, and heightened stigma. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are theoretically well-suited to address these mechanisms, yet have rarely been adapted to target the specific barriers to cessation in oncology settings. Method A subset of participants enrolled in CareConnect, a randomized clinical trial of tailored digital outreach for tobacco cessation in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adult people with cancer who had cancer treatment within the past three months and completed semi-structured interviews ( N = 24), 3 months to 1 year after receiving the outreach call to assess their experiences with the intervention. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes related to engagement with cessation support and how to apply these themes to mindfulness-based interventions. Results Thematic analysis revealed three primary themes maintaining tobacco use and limiting engagement with cessation: (1) autonomy threat and perceived judgment in cancer care; (2) cancer-related distress and treatment overload; and (3) shame, identity threat, and moralization of smoking. Together, these mechanisms constitute a reinforcing the nested Smoking-Distress-Avoidance Cycle in Cancer Care. Conclusions Findings are used to specify MBI components that map onto identified intervention targets. Implications for developing mindfulness-based interventions for individuals with cancer who smoke are discussed.
Related
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BibTeX
@misc{doren2026mindfulnessbased,
title = {{Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Smoking Cessation in People with cancer: Insights from Qualitative Data}},
author = {Natalia Van Doren and Kylie Sloan and Edgar Yu and Carmen Ma and Chigozie Onyeagoro and Mei-Chin Kuo and Zinnia Loya and Laurel Bray-Hannin and Stella Bialous and Chloe Atreya and Patrick Ha and Lisa Kroon and Sue Yom and Janice Tsoh},
howpublished = {Research Square},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-10856341/v1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10856341/v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Smoking Cessation in People with cancer: Insights from Qualitative Data
AU - Natalia Van Doren
AU - Kylie Sloan
AU - Edgar Yu
AU - Carmen Ma
AU - Chigozie Onyeagoro
AU - Mei-Chin Kuo
AU - Zinnia Loya
AU - Laurel Bray-Hannin
AU - Stella Bialous
AU - Chloe Atreya
AU - Patrick Ha
AU - Lisa Kroon
AU - Sue Yom
AU - Janice Tsoh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
PB - Research Square
DO - 10.21203/rs.3.rs-10856341/v1
UR - https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10856341/v1
AB - Background Continued tobacco use after a cancer diagnosis substantially worsens treatment outcomes and survival; yet, over 60% of people with cancer continue to smoke and fewer than 30% receive cessation support. Standard cessation approaches may fail to address the unique psychological context of cancer care, which includes cancer-related distress, perceived loss of autonomy, and heightened stigma. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are theoretically well-suited to address these mechanisms, yet have rarely been adapted to target the specific barriers to cessation in oncology settings. Method A subset of participants enrolled in CareConnect, a randomized clinical trial of tailored digital outreach for tobacco cessation in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adult people with cancer who had cancer treatment within the past three months and completed semi-structured interviews ( N = 24), 3 months to 1 year after receiving the outreach call to assess their experiences with the intervention. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes related to engagement with cessation support and how to apply these themes to mindfulness-based interventions. Results Thematic analysis revealed three primary themes maintaining tobacco use and limiting engagement with cessation: (1) autonomy threat and perceived judgment in cancer care; (2) cancer-related distress and treatment overload; and (3) shame, identity threat, and moralization of smoking. Together, these mechanisms constitute a reinforcing the nested Smoking-Distress-Avoidance Cycle in Cancer Care. Conclusions Findings are used to specify MBI components that map onto identified intervention targets. Implications for developing mindfulness-based interventions for individuals with cancer who smoke are discussed.
SN - 2693-5015
ER -