Sustained Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction Intervention in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Design and first results of a randomized controlled trial (the Heidelberger Diabetes and Stress-Study)
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention is effective for reducing psychosocial distress (i.e., depression, psychosocial stress) and the progression of nephropathy (i.e., albuminuria) and for improving the subjective health status of patients with type 2 diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria were randomized to a mindfulness-based intervention (n = 53) or a treatment-as-usual control (n = 57) group. The study is designed to investigate long-term outcomes over a period of 5 years. We present data up to the first year of follow-up (FU).
RESULTS At FU, the MBSR group showed lower levels of depression (d = 0.71) and improved health status (d = 0.54) compared with the control group. No significant differences in albuminuria were found. Per-protocol analysis also showed higher stress reduction in the intervention group (d = 0.64).
CONCLUSIONS MBSR intervention achieved a prolonged reduction in psychosocial distress. The effects on albuminuria will be followed up further.
Footnotes
Clinical trial reg. no. NCT00263419, clinicaltrials.gov.
This article contains Supplementary Data online at http://care.diabetesjournals.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.2337/dc11-1343/-/DC1.
- Received July 17, 2011.
- Accepted January 9, 2012.
- © 2012 by the American Diabetes Association.
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