Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on mental health and sleep quality in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled trial

Background and aims: Sleep disorders directly relate to diabetes and its management. The study objective was to examine the effect of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention on mental health and sleep quality (SQ) in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Isfahan health care centers in Iran. Methods: Eighty women with T2DM were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial performed at Imam Ali Comprehensive Urban Health Center in Isfahan in 2019. The patients were randomly assigned to the intervention (8 sessions of 2 hours of MBSR training) and control (standard care) groups. SQ and mental health were assessed and compared via the Pittsburgh SQ Index and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 before and after the intervention in both groups by SPSS 20 using the chi-square test, independent t-test, and paired-samples t-test. Results: A post-intervention reduction in the overall quality of sleep index was observed in both intervention and control groups (0.7±0.2, P=0.1 and 0.17±0.07, P=0.6, respectively). There was a significant difference between the subjective SQ and the sleep duration before and after treatment in the intervention group (a score reduction of 0.2±0.09 and 0.3±0.12, respectively, P=0.03). Depression, anxiety, and stress scores also decreased significantly after treatment in the intervention group, indicating an improvement in mental health (4.3±2.1, P<0.001, 5±2.7, P<0.001, and 3.7±1.5, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Overall, mental health, subjective quality, and sleep duration improved in patients with T2DM undergoing MBSR training.