Skip to content

Effect of mindfulness-based intervention in patients with diabetes: a meta-analytic review.

Carlos Said Páez-márquez, Elkin Higuera-Dagovett, Jaime Tomás Rojas-Valencia

Psychology, Health & Medicine April 15, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2025.2487948 (opens in new tab)

Read Full Text
Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed
Sample size 987
Population Patients diagnosed with diabetes
Intervention mindfulness-based interventions
Duration 12–20 weeks follow-up
Topics Meditation
Keywords Diabetes mellitus Diabetes complications Mindfulness-based stress reduction
Citations 1
Key findings Mindfulness-based interventions reduced HbA1c by 0.5 percentage points and lowered depression scores at 12–20 weeks follow-up.

Abstract

Traditional management strategies for diabetes primarily focus on behavioural risk factors and pharmacological therapies. Furthermore, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) aim to assist patients in recognising and accepting sensations, emotions and cognitions without automatic reactivity. This approach can potentially enhance glycaemic control and mental health in diabetic patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to assess the effects of MBIs among individuals diagnosed with diabetes. A systematic literature search and meta-analysis were conducted following international quality standards utilised by the Cochrane Collaboration. Randomised controlled trials were included. The population of interest was defined as any patient diagnosed with diabetes; MBIs were defined as the intervention. Pubmed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Lilacs were accessed. A grey literature search was performed using OpenGrey and ClinicalTrials tools. Outcomes included changes in glycosylated haemoglobin percentage (%HbA1c), depression, and stress scores. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool, and publication bias was evaluated through Egger's test. The results were presented with forest plots. The mean difference (MD) for the %HbA1c and the standardised MD for the measurement scale scores were used as effect measures. The initial search retrieved 442 scientific articles, 11 randomised clinical trials were finally selected for the systematic review, which included 987 participants (487 in the intervention groups), and seven articles were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that MBIs had effects at follow-up (between 12 and 20 weeks) in reducing %HbA1c levels (MD = -0.5, CI 95% [-0.67, -0.34]) and depression SMD = -0.84, CI 95% [-1.11, -0.56]). It is proposed that mindfulness significantly enhances mental health and glycaemic control in patients with diabetes. Further research is warranted to confirm these effects and gain a deeper understanding of the contribution of MBIs in comprehensive diabetes treatment.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations 2014 Meta-analysis n = 3,515
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects 2009 Systematic review and meta-analysis
The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators 2012 Meta-analysis n = 163
Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission 2016 Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials n = 1,258
Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials 2011 Systematic review

Citations in the library

Cited by 1

Cites 12

and 7 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Meditation Depression