Background: Diabetes is a complex and chronic disease, i.e. associated with patients' lifestyle and affects their quality of life. The present study examined the role of alexithymia on the relationship between social support, health-related quality of life, and glycated hemoglobin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. The study participants consisted of 100 (60% females) type 2 diabetic outpatients visiting the Labbafinejad Hospital in Tehran City, Iran, between February 2013 and January 2014. Measures of data collection included the multidimensional scale of perceived social support, the diabetes-related quality of life, and alexithymia Scale. Results: The results of two hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that alexithymia moderated the relationship between perceived social support, quality of life, alexithymia scale, and HbA1c in patients. To evaluate the moderating role, two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were calculated. The obtained results suggested that alexithymia moderates the relationship between social support, health-related quality of life, and glycated hemoglobin in patients with type 2 diabetes (P>0.001). Conclusion: The study findings contribute to a better understanding of effective psychosocial factors in the quality of life and HbA1c among patients with diabetes. Therefore, developing psychological interventions is essential for these patients.

Background Several studies indicate the role of psychosocial factors in the management and control of chronic diseases in adolescents. In this regard, the roles of attachment and alexithymia in the management of type 1 diabetes in adolescents and related gender-specific patterns have rarely been the focus of empirical research. In this study we investigate the gender-specific relationship of alexithymia and attachment with self-care and blood glucose level in adolescents with type1 diabetes. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted on adolescents aged 12–18 years, with type 1 diabetes. Participants were recruited from diabetes clinics and the Iranian Diabetes Society. Data were collected using the Farsi versions of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20), the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale (SDSCA). Blood glucose levels were measured by determining HbA1c which were abstracted from medical records. Data were analyzed using SPSS21 software. Results Participants were 150 adolescents (57% female), mean age 14.97 ± 2.30. Alexithymia (β = 0.10, P = 0.01), difficulty identifying feelings (β = 0.15, P = 0.03) and communication with mothers (β = − 0.08, P = 0.03) predicted HbA1c in girls, whereas no significant relationships were observed for HbA1c with alexithymia and attachment in boys. Factors that predicted self-care in girls were alexithymia (β = − 0.04, P = 0.02), difficulty identifying feelings (β = − 0.06, P = 0.04); in boys however in addition to these two factors predicting self-care [alexithymia (β = − 0.07, P = 0.01) and difficulty identifying feelings (β = − 0.11, P = 0.01)], we also found difficulty describing feelings (β = − 0.16, P = 0.02), communication with mother (β = 0.04, P = 0.04), alienation to mother (β = − 0.06, P = 0.03), to father (β = − 0.06, P = 0.01) and to peers (β = − 0.09, P = 0.03). Conclusions Our results suggest that, in a gender-specific pattern, alexithymia and attachment could affect self-care and blood glucose level in adolescents with type 1 diabetes; findings that can be used to facilitate more effective treatment strategies and interventions in this age group.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is on the rise, and the lack of regular self-care activities can exacerbate this disease. Therefore, finding effective and short-term treatments is needed for these patients. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance-based emotion regulation group therapy in controlling diabetes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This experimental study included the three stages of pre-test, post-test, and six-month after follow-up, as well as a control group. The statistical sample consisted of 33 patients with type 2 diabetes referred to the Iranian Diabetes Association, of whom 16 patients were allocated to the intervention group and 17 to the control group. The study was conducted in Tehran in 2019 - 2020. Acceptance-based emotion regulation group therapy lasted 14 weeks, during which some aspects of acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical therapy, and emotion-focused treatment were combined and provided to the patients. The questionnaires used were the Summary of Diabetes Self-care activities (SDSCA) and Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life scale. Also, a structured DSM-V clinical interview was performed, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured. To analyze the data, mixed design ANOVA was run in SPSS version 21. Results: The findings revealed that the mean difference between pre-test and post-test in the experimental group was significant for the variables of HbA1c, quality of life, and self-care while the mean difference between the post-test and follow-up was not significant for HbA1c (P = 0.17) and quality of life (P = 0.27), indicating the stability of the therapeutic effect after six months of the intervention. Based on the present findings, acceptance-based emotion regulation group therapy led to a decrease in HbA1c and an increase in self-care and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: Our results showed that acceptance-based emotion regulation group therapy improved self-care, quality of life, and HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients, so it can be used as a complementary intervention along with medical treatments.