Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been receiving growing attention in cancer care. This study evaluated the impact of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on quality of life, psychological distress (anxiety and depression), and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with breast cancer under early chemotherapy. A total of 101 patients with breast cancer under early chemotherapy were randomly assigned to either an 8-week MBSR group (n = 50) or a control group (n = 51). The primary outcome was quality of life, measured on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer. The secondary outcomes were anxiety (Self-rating Anxiety Scale), depression (Self-rating Depression Scale), and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (The Chinese version of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire). The participants were assessed at baseline (T0) and week 8 (T1). The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 21.0. The participants in the MBSR group experienced significantly better outcomes in their quality of life, psychological distress, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies than the control group. The MBSR intervention was demonstrated to improve the positive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and quality of life in patients with breast cancer under early chemotherapy and significantly reduce the patient's anxiety, depression, and negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and help the patients to adjust their mental state and promote positive psychology to improve their quality of life.

Background: Nursing undergraduates’ academic self-efficacy is a significant factor in determining their learning motivation, cognition, and emotions. It has a significant impact on improving academic performance and achieving learning goals.Methods: To explore the mechanism of psychological distress affecting the academic self-efficacy of nursing undergraduates, the generalized anxiety disorder scale-7, patient health questionnaire-9, academic self-efficacy scale, perceived social support scale and mindful attention awareness scale were conducted.Results: Model fitness indexes of the structural equation model is good (CMIN/DF = 1.404, RMSEA = 0.042, GFI = 0.977, IFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.954, CFI = 0.975, NFI = 0.923). Structural equation model analysis showed that social support and mindfulness were the mediating variables of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy. Mediating variables accounted for 44% of the total effect value (− 0.3) with a value of − 0.132. Three paths were verified: psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through social support (− 0.064); psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through mindfulness (− 0.053); psychological distress indirectly affected academic self-efficacy through social support and mindfulness (− 0.015).Conclusions: Social support and mindfulness play significant mediating roles in the effect of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy, and the chain mediating role of social support and mindfulness is also significant. Educators may mitigate the impact of psychological distress on academic self-efficacy by enhancing students’ social support and mindfulness.

Background: Although cross-sectional studies on the learning status of nursing undergraduates during the COVID-19 epidemic have surged, few studies have explored the normalization of COVID-19 on students’ learning burnout and mental health. The study was designed to investigate the learning burnout of nursing undergraduates in school under the normalization of the COVID-19 epidemic and explore the hypothesized mediation effect of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between anxiety, depression and learning burnout in Chinese nursing undergraduates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing undergraduates in the school of nursing of a university in Jiangsu Province, China (n = 227). A general information questionnaire, College Students’ Learning Burnout Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) were administered. Descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed via SPSS 26.0. Process plug-in (Model 4) was used to test the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy (bootstrap 5000 iterations, α = 0.05). Results: Learning burnout (54.1 ± 0.656) was positively correlated with anxiety (4.6 ± 0.283) and depression (5.3 ± 0.366) (p < 0.01) and was negatively correlated with academic self-efficacy (74.41 ± 0.674) (p < 0.01). Academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role between anxiety and learning burnout (0.395/0.493, 80.12%) and a mediating role between depression and learning burnout (0.332/0.503, 66.00%). Conclusion: Academic self-efficacy has a significant predictive effect on learning burnout. Schools and teachers should strengthen the screening and counselling of students’ psychological problems, detect learning burnout caused by emotional problems in advance and improve students’ initiative and enthusiasm for learning.

Background: In 2019, an outbreak of COVID-19 broke out in Hubei, China. Medical workers from all over the country rushed to Hubei and participated in the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients. These nurses, dedicated to their professional practice, volunteered to provide compassion and expert clinical care during the pandemic. As with other acts of heroism, the ethical dilemmas associated with working on the front line must be considered for future practice. Purpose: To explore the ethical dilemmas of frontline nurses of Jiangsu Province in China during deployment to Wuhan to fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia, and to provide a basis for developing strategies to help nursing staff address personal and practice concerns in order to work more effectively during this pandemic and other disasters in the future. Research design and method: Using the phenomenological research method and the purpose sampling method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 nurses, post-deployment to Wuhan, who had worked on the front line to fight the novel coronavirus. Ethical considerations: The research proposal was approved by the Research Ethic Committee of Yangzhou University, China. Findings: From the analysis of the interviews of the 10 participants, three main themes were identified: ethical dilemmas in clinical nursing, ethical dilemmas in interpersonal relationships, and ethical dilemmas in nursing management. Conclusion: During a quick response to public health emergencies, where nurses are deployed immediately as a call to action, the issues surrounding ethical dilemmas from several perspectives must be considered. This research suggests that a team approach to proactive planning and open communication during the emergency is an efficient and productive strategy to improve the nurses’ experience and sense of well-being.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) in patients with breast cancer has been reported. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been found to be effective in improving the psychological well-being during cancer care. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of MBSR on the levels of PTG, perceived social support, and quality of life. A sample of 101 participants who experienced early chemotherapy enrolled in an MBSR group (n = 50) and a routine care group (n = 51) for 8 weeks. Their postintervention data were combined with preintervention data through a bundle of questionnaires reporting levels of PTG, perceived social support, and quality of life. MBSR showed the prominent validity in raising the levels of PTG and increasing in perceived social support and quality of life from pre- to posttreatment. MBSR improved the levels of PTG, perceived social support, and quality of life in patients with breast cancer in early chemotherapy. In conclusion, MBSR may help to optimize the positive psychological processes that will be targeted to maximize the efficacy of treatment for future cancer survivors.