Comparing the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction on self-care in women with type 2 diabetes
Keywords:
Compassion-focused therapy, Mindfulness-based stress reduction, Self-care, Type 2 diabetesAbstract
Background and Purpose: Type 2 diabetes, as one of the most common chronic diseases in women, is associated with numerous psychological problems, including decreased self-care, in addition to physical consequences, which can challenge the process of disease control and the quality of life of patients. Therefore, the use of effective psychological interventions alongside medical treatments is of particular importance. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction program on self-care in women with type 2 diabetes.
Methodology: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a three-month follow-up with a control group. Among all women with type 2 diabetes referring to Taban Health and Diabetes Specialized Polyclinic in Tehran, 45 were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and control group. Treatment interventions were implemented during regular and structured sessions for the experimental groups, while the control group did not receive any intervention during this period. Research instruments included a demographic questionnaire and a short scale of diabetes self-care activities. Data were collected in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up and analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post-hoc test.
Results: The results showed that both compassion-focused therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions significantly improved self-care in women with type 2 diabetes at the post-test compared to the control group. In addition, the results of the comparison between treatment groups showed that the mindfulness-based stress reduction program was more effective in improving self-care compared to compassion-focused therapy. The results of the follow-up phase also showed that the effects of these interventions remained stable for at least three months after the end of the treatment sessions.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that compassion- and mindfulness-based psychotherapy interventions can be used as effective and sustainable approaches to promote self-care in women with type 2 diabetes.
Downloads
References
Albertson, E. R., Neff, K. D., & Dill-Shackleford, K. E. (2015). Self-compassion and body dissatisfaction in women: A randomized controlled trial of a brief meditation intervention. Mindfulness, 6(3), 444-454.
Alshehri, M. M., Alenazi, A. M., Hoover, J. C., Alothman, S. A., Phadnis, M. A., Miles, J. M., Kluding, P. M., & Siengsukon, C. F. (2020). A comparison of diabetes self-care behavior in people with type 2 diabetes with and without insomnia symptoms. Acta Diabetologica, 57(6), 651-659.
Amirpour, B., Asgarpour, Z., & AhmadiFar, M. (2024). Effectiveness of compassion focused therapy in the reduction of self-criticism and parental guilt of mothers of children with phenylketonuria syndrome: a quasi-experimental study. Journal of health research in community, 10(2), 60-73.
Aquino, J. A., Baldoni, A. O., Oliveira, C. D. L., Cardoso, C. S., de Figueiredo, R. C., & Sanches, C. (2019). Pharmacotherapeutic empowerment and its effectiveness in glycemic control in patients with Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 13(1), 137-142.
Ching, S. M., Yee, A., Lee, P. Y., Ramachandran, V., Shum, K. M., Ismael, N. F. I., Wan Sulaiman, W. A., Hoo, F. K., Foo, Y. L., & Lee, K. W. (2020). Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the diabetes empowerment scale among hospital Serdang type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using exploratory factor analysis. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 18(1), 23.
Finlay-Jones, A. L., Parkinson, A., Sirois, F., Perry, Y., Boyes, M., & Rees, C. S. (2023). Web-based self-compassion training to improve the well-being of youth with chronic medical conditions: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44016.
Firouzkouhi, M., Ghaderi, G., Hossein-Zadeh, A., & Aali, H. (2022). Evaluation of Psychological Symptoms in Type II Diabetes Patients Based on Self-Efficacy, Quality of Life, and Self-Compassion [Research]. Journal of Diabetes Nursing, 10(4), 1976-1989. http://jdn.zbmu.ac.ir/article-1-559-fa.html
Gonzalez-Hernandez, E., Romero, R., Campos, D., Burychka, D., Diego-Pedro, R., Baños, R., Negi, L. T., & Cebolla, A. (2018). Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 17(3), 684-696. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735418772095
Gunn, S., Henson, J., Robertson, N., Maltby, J., Brady, E. M., Henderson, S., Hadjiconstantinou, M., Hall, A. P., Rowlands, A. V., & Yates, T. (2022). Self-compassion, sleep quality and psychological well-being in type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open diabetes research & care, 10(5).
Kılıç, A., Hudson, J., Scott, W., McCracken, L. M., Hackett, R. A., & Hughes, L. D. (2023). An online acceptance, commitment, and self-compassion based treatment to decrease psychological distress in people with type 2 diabetes: A feasibility randomised-controlled trial. Internet Interventions, 33, 100658.
Kumar, G. V., Aghili, S. M., & Zaree, M. (2022). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on Adherence to Medication and Proper Food Consumption in Patients with Diabetes Type 2. Iranian Journal of Health Psychology; Vol, 5(2).
Lian, J., McGhee, S. M., So, C., Chau, J., Wong, C. K., Wong, W. C., & Lam, C. L. (2019). Long‐term cost‐effectiveness of a Patient Empowerment Programme for type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 21(1), 73-83.
Loucks, E. B., Crane, R. S., Sanghvi, M. A., Montero-Marin, J., Proulx, J., Brewer, J. A., & Kuyken, W. (2022). Mindfulness-based programs: why, when, and how to adapt? Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 11, 21649561211068805.
Madmoli, M. (2019). A systematic review study on the results of empowerment-based interventions in diabetic patients. Int. Res. Med. Health Sci, 2(1), 1-7.
Majidzadeh, R., Rezaei, S., & Akbari, B. (2022). Self-compassion reduces the destructive effects of perceived stress on psychological well-being and self-care behaviors: Results from type II diabetes mellitus patients.
Mansouri, Z., Mansouri, A., Zardosht, F., & Nazarnia, P. (2019). Effect of family-centered empowerment model on glycemic control and drug compliance in patients with type II diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Nursing, 6(4), 596-606.
Razi, S., Sadeghi, M., Nasrabadi, A., Ebrahimi, H., & Kazemnejad, A. (2014). The effect of family-centered empowerment model on knowledge and metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes. Knowledge Health, 9(1), 48-54.
Ribeiro da Silva, D., Rijo, D., Castilho, P., & Gilbert, P. (2019). The Efficacy of a Compassion-Focused Therapy–Based Intervention in Reducing Psychopathic Traits and Disruptive Behavior: A Clinical Case Study With a Juvenile Detainee. Clinical Case Studies, 18(5), 323-343. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534650119849491
Sadeghi M, P. R. S., Nikbakht Nasrabadi A, Ebrahimi H, Kazemnejad A. (2013). Comparison of the impact of education based on the empowerment model and family-center empowerment model on knowledge and metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Nursing Education, 2(3), 18-27.
Signore, A. K., Jung, M. E., Semenchuk, B., Kullman, S. M., Tefft, O., Webber, S., Ferguson, L. J., Kowalski, K., Fortier, M., & McGavock, J. (2022). A pilot and feasibility study of a randomized clinical trial testing a self-compassion intervention aimed to increase physical activity behaviour among people with prediabetes. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 8(1), 111.
Tan, C. C. L., Cheng, K. K. F., Sum, C. F., Shew, J. S. H., Holydard, E., & Wang, W. (2018). Perceptions of diabetes self-care management among older Singaporeans with type 2 diabetes: A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Research, 26(4), 242-249.
THAKRAL, S., & SAXENA, D. S. (2025). ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY AS AN INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE TREATMENT OUTCOMES AND WELL-BEING IN TYPE 2 DIABETES PATIENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. TPM–Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 32(S8 (2025): Posted 05 November), 2233-2242.
Timajchi, M., Agahheris, M., Rafiepoor, A., & Nikoozadeh, E. K. (2025). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on Psychological Distress Tolerance, Sexual Function, and Psychosocial Distress in Diabetic Patients. International Journal of Body, Mind & Culture (2345-5802), 12(2).
Tsai, C.-C., Yu, H.-I., & Chen, M.-F. (2025). The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Healthy Lifestyle Program for Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 07334648251395792.
Venkatesh Kumar, J., Aghili, M., Zaree, M., & Asghari, A. (2022). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on adherence to medication and proper food consumption in patients with diabetes type 2. Iranian Journal of Health Psychology, 5(2), 17-26.
Wang, H., Ge, L., Yan Yan Kwok, J., Zhang, Z., Wiley, J., & Guo, J. (2025). A blended mindfulness-based stress reduction program to improve diabetes self-management among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a mediation effect analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 59(1), kaae075.
Williams, J. S., Walker, R. J., Smalls, B. L., Hill, R., & Egede, L. E. (2016). Patient-centered care, glycemic control, diabetes self-care, and quality of life in adults with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes technology & therapeutics, 18(10), 644-649.
Xu, J., Yang, J., Lu, Y., Yang, J., Gu, C., Zhu, J., & Yang, L. (2025). Identifying the Most Crucial Factors Influencing Self-Compassion Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Using Interpretable Machine Learning. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 4571-4586.
Zhu, T. H., Mooi, C. S., & Shamsuddin, N. H. (2019). Diabetes empowerment scores among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and its correlated factors: A cross-sectional study in a primary care setting in Malaysia. World journal of diabetes, 10(7), 403.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahshid Moradi, Naser Saraj Khorami, Parviz Asgari (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
