Meditation Therapy in Improving Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients With Psychosocial Distress

This trial studies how well self-administered meditation therapy works in improving anxiety and depression in cancer patients who exhibit psychosocial distress. Meditation therapy is a mind-body approach that uses a variety of techniques, such as deep breathing, sound, or movement, that may help to decrease distress and anxiety and enhance the health and quality of life of patients with cancer.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients at MD Anderson with a cancer history who are either undergoing active treatment or who have completed treatment for their cancer * Must understand and read English, sign a written informed consent, and follow protocol requirements * Willing to come to MD Anderson Main Campus (Texas Medical Center) for enrollment * Patient self-reported ESAS psychological scale score (sum of anxiety and depression scores) between 4 and 11 (and/or) individual anxiety or depression score between 4 and 7 on a 0 to 10 numeric scale, where 10 is the worst possible * If on medication for anxiety, stable dose of medications for management of anxiety symptoms for at least six weeks prior to enrollment with no plans to change meditations in the subsequent four weeks. Increases or decreases allowed within drug class, but changing drug class will make patient in-evaluable Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of a formal thought disorder (e.g., schizophrenia) * Known history of a neurological and/or psychological disorder that in the physician's opinion may interfere with the patient's ability to cooperate with study procedures