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One-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial Piloting a Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Adolescent Insulin Resistance

Lauren B Shomaker, Bernadette Pivarunas, Shelly K. Annameier, Lauren D. Gulley, Jordan T. Quaglia, Kirk Warren Brown, Patricia Broderick, Christopher Bell

Frontiers in Psychology May 8, 2019 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01040 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled pilot trial Pilot study Peer reviewed
Sample size 25
Population 12- to 17-year-old girls with overweight/obesity, elevated depression symptoms, and a family history of type 2 diabetes
Interventions Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Duration Six-session intervention; 1-year follow-up
Topics Depression Meditation
Keywords Cognitive-behavioral therapy Insulin resistance Type 2 diabetes Adolescents
Registration NCT02218138
Key findings At one year, adolescents randomized to a brief mindfulness-based intervention showed greater reductions in depression (Cohen's d = 0.68) and insulin resistance (d = 0.73) than those in a cognitive-behavioral therapy group. No significant between-group differences were found for mindfulness, adiposity, or BMI. The authors suggest brief MBI may reduce depression and insulin resistance in at-risk adolescents, but say replication in a larger trial is needed.

Abstract

IntroductionTo explore if a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) leads to sustained, improved clinical outcomes in adolescents at-risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsParticipants were 12–17y girls with overweight/obesity, elevated depression symptoms, and T2D family history participating in a randomized, controlled pilot trial of a six-session MBI vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) group. At baseline and 1-year, mindfulness, depression, insulin resistance (IR), and body composition were assessed with validated instruments.ResultsOne-year retention was 71% (n = 12) in MBI; 81% (n = 13) in CBT. At 1-year, depression decreased (Cohen’s d = 0.68) and IR decreased (d = 0.73) in adolescents randomized to MBI compared to those in CBT. There were no significant between-condition differences in mindfulness, adiposity, or BMI.DiscussionOne-year outcomes from this randomized, controlled pilot trial suggest that brief MBI may reduce depression and IR in at-risk adolescents. Replication and exploration of mechanisms within the context of a larger clinical trial are necessary.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02218138.

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