Managing type 2 diabetes and depression with Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT)
Fateh Sohrabi, Ahmad Sohrabi, Narges Shams-Alizadeh, Bruno Cayoun
Discover Psychology December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s44202-022-00026-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Iranian adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (11 males, 14 females; mean age 45.6 years) |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT) treatment-as-usual (TAU) |
| Duration | 8-session intervention; 6-week follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | Among 25 Iranian adults with type 2 diabetes, those randomly assigned to 8 sessions of Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy showed significantly greater reductions in depression and greater treatment adherence than the treatment-as-usual group at post-treatment, and significantly greater blood sugar reduction at 6-week follow-up. The treatment-as-usual group showed no significant change on any measure. The authors state that larger replication studies are needed to confirm these findings. |
Abstract
Abstract: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disorder and the most common cause of death in eastern populations, with prevalence estimated to be at the level of epidemic illness. Despite medical attention, psychological factors remain a significant contributor to DM, requiring effective psychological interventions. This study evaluated the effects of Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT) on depression, treatment adherence, and control of blood glucose of 25 Iranian patients (11 males and 14 females, mean age = 45.6) with type 2 DM, randomly assigned to either an 8-session MiCBT (n = 12) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 13). We present a theoretical conceptualization and detailed step-by-step implementation of MiCBT, and an assessment of its effectiveness in this sample. While no between-group differences were found at pre-treatment on any of the measures, the MiCBT group showed a significantly greater reduction in depression and greater treatment adherence than the TAU group at post-treatment. The MiCBT group also showed a significantly greater blood sugar reduction than the TAU group at 6-week follow-up. Within-group analysis found no significant change on any of the measures for TAU, whereas the MiCBT group reported a significant decrease in depression and increase in treatment adherence from pre- to post-treatment and maintained at 6-week follow-up. Blood sugar reduction also only occurred in the MiCBT group from pre- to post-treatment. Replication studies with larger samples are necessary to confirm these findings and validate the transdiagnostic efficacy and transcultural applicability of MiCBT in type 2 DM.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Differentiating mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy clinically: the why, how, and what of evidence-based practice. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Depressive Symptoms and Their Relationship to Interoceptive Awareness: A Systematic Review. Alpha psychiatry December 1, 2025
- Bridging traditions: a template analysis of Buddhist and Western psychological approaches to mindfulness. Frontiers in Psychology June 10, 2026
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on psychological outcomes and HbA1C in patients with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice May 1, 2026
- Meta-Analytic Insights Into Mindfulness Approaches for Depression and Diabetes Comorbidity Care. Diabetes Spectrum 2025
Cites 10
- Testing the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce emotional distress in outpatients with diabetes (DiaMind): design of a randomized controlled trial BMC Public Health February 24, 2011
- Co-emergence Reinforcement and Its Relevance to Interoceptive Desensitization in Mindfulness and Therapies Aiming at Transdiagnostic Efficacy Frontiers in Psychology December 22, 2020
- Study protocol for a randomized control trial to investigate the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavior therapy (MiCBT) transdiagnostic group intervention for primary care patients. BMC Psychiatry January 6, 2020
- Efficacy of the Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App “Calm” to Reduce Stress Among College Students: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR mHealth and uHealth June 1, 2019
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Females with Multiple Sclerosis: A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Trial February 26, 2017
and 5 more in the library