with Christine Lathren, MD, MSPH
In this presentation, we describe the unique psychosocial needs of young adults who have been treated for cancer. We then describe the study design and methods of a pilot study examining an 8-week mindful self-compassion (MSC) video chat intervention for a group of 20 nationally recruited young adult female cancer survivors. Five main themes emerging from transcripts of the intervention sessions will be explored: relations with non-cancer surviving peers, common humanity within the cancer survivor community, mindful self-compassion for a changed body, trust in health, and benefits and challenges of practicing MSC during daily life. Finally, the implications for the usefulness and relevance of MSC skills to meet the unique needs of young adults cancer survivors, including potential cautions for use, will be discussed.
Christine Lathren, MD, MSPH is currently a post-doctoral research fellow in the Program in Integrative Medicine and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests include mindfulness and self-compassion in youth, and interventions to promote mindfulness and self-compassion within families raising youth, particularly those families who are at higher risk for negative long-term psychosocial and health outcomes.
Karen Bluth