The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the mental health, HbA1C, and mindfulness of diabetes patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Virginia Fisher, W. Li, U. Malabu
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being February 28, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12441 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 718 |
| Population | Diabetes patients |
| Intervention | mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Intervention length not specified; follow-up period between one and 12 months, mean 4.3 months |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms and enhanced mindfulness with large effect sizes at post-intervention and follow-up, but did not affect HbA1C. |
Abstract
The clinically standardised mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been utilised as an intervention for improving mental health among diabetes patients The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the mental health, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1C), and mindfulness of diabetes patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis approach was employed to review randomised controlled trials published in the English language between the inception of eight databases to July 2022. Eleven articles from 10 studies, with a combined sample size of 718 participants, were included in the systematic review, and nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis, outcomes at post-intervention and follow-up were compared between the MBSR intervention and control groups with an adjustment of the baseline values. The results showed that MBSR demonstrated effects at post-intervention and follow-up (in a period between one to 12 months with a mean length of 4.3 months) in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, and enhancing mindfulness, with large effect sizes. However, the effect of MBSR on reducing stress was observed at follow-up, but not at post-intervention. Effects of MBSR on HbA1C were not detected at post-intervention and follow-up. The findings suggest that MBSR appears to be an effective treatment for improving mental health conditions and mindfulness in people with diabetes. The measurement of cortisol is recommended to be used as a biological measure to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR in diabetes patients in future research.
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 19
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on depression, PTSD, and mindfulness among military veterans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Open 2024
- A Systematic Review on the State of the Art of Culturally Adapted Mindfulness-Based Interventions for First Nations Peoples: Cultural Adaptation, Effectiveness, and Feasibility Mindfulness September 1, 2024
- The relationship between mindfulness and mental distress in Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic: Moderating effects of infection severity of region and mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology 2023
- A randomized, controlled trial study of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on depression and physical problems in depressed elderly individuals. Journal of Health Psychology December 21, 2024
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Physiological Markers of Stress in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Synthesis Mindfulness December 2, 2025
and 14 more in the library
Cites 8
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Evaluation of the effects of 12 weeks mindfulness-based stress reduction on glycemic control and mental health indices in women with diabetes mellitus type 2 Advanced Biomedical Research November 4, 2020
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in People With Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Nursing Scholarship May 14, 2020
- The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Emotional Wellbeing and Glycemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Journal of Diabetes Research June 28, 2018
- Feasibility of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Poorly Controlled Type 1 Diabetes. Health psychology and behavioral medicine 2018
and 3 more in the library