The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Blood Sugar and Psychological Well-Being in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of mindfulness training on blood sugar and psychological well-being in patients with type 2 diabetes. This applied research employed a quasi-experimental methodology with a pretest-posttest design with a control group and involved a three-month follow-up. The study population comprised all patients with type 2 diabetes attending the Diabetes and Endocrinology Treatment Center in Dubai in summer 2023. Forty patients with type 2 diabetes were purposively selected and randomly assigned to two groups: 1) The experimental group, undergoing mindfulness training, and 2) The control group. After the intervention period, both groups took part in free counseling sessions. Participants initially completed Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire. The serum level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured in the pretest, posttest, and three-month follow-up phases by a laboratory kit. All participants recompleted the questionnaire following the intervention with the experimental group.  Data were analyzed by the SPSS 29 software through descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and repeated measures analysis of variance. The results indicated that mindfulness training significantly lowered blood sugar and enhanced psychological well-being in patients with type 2 diabetes at posttest compared to the control group. Therefore, it can be concluded that mindfulness can serve as an effective and sustainable approach to managing and improving diabetic patients’ conditions.