Objective The aim of the study was to determine the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention on emotion regulation and glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods Sixty patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited for this randomized controlled trial from an outpatient clinic at Imam Hospital in Iran. The intervention group participated in 8 sessions of MBSR, and the control group continued the treatment as usual. Fasting blood sugar and HbA1c were measured as two indices of glycemic control. Overall mental health, depression, and anxiety were measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), respectively. All the assessments were performed at baseline and after 8 weeks and 3 months as follow-up. Results In comparison with the control group, the MBSR intervention group showed a significant reduction on all outcome measures including FBS, HbA1C, HARS, and HDRS scores (p < 0/05). Conclusion MBSR had a remarkable improvement on emotional wellbeing and glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background Studies show that childbirth fear is a common problem among Iranian women. Therefore, most Iranian women prefer caesarean section for giving birth. This study investigated the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention by midwives (birth emotions - looking to improve expectant fear (BELIEF)) on decreasing childbirth fear and self-efficacy among first-time pregnant women who were afraid of giving birth. Methods A number of 80 pregnant women participated in the study. They had received a score of ≥66 on the Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaire. They were randomly assigned into two groups: intervention (n = 40) and control groups (n = 40). The intervention group received two face-to-face counseling sessions based on the BELEF protocol in the 24th and 34th weeks of pregnancy. Between these two sessions, it also received eight telephone-counseling sessions once a week. The control group only received the prenatal routine care. The outcome measures were childbirth fear, childbirth self-efficacy, and childbirth preference. Results The intervention group showed significantly more reduction in childbirth fear and more increase in childbirth self-efficacy compared to the control group. In addition, more women in the intervention group reported that they preferred to give normal vaginal birth than women in the control group. Conclusion The BELIEF protocol could be an effective approach in reducing childbirth fear and increasing childbirth self-efficacy among first-time pregnant women who are afraid of giving birth. Trial registration number IRCT20101219005417N3, Date of Registration: 19-12-2018.

Background Cognitive impairment is the most important feature of schizophrenia leading to severe functional disability. To identify pathways that improve pathophysiological neurocognition in schizophrenia is a current challenge for the development of goal-directed clinical interventions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of raloxifene (a selective estrogen modulator) and isradipine (a voltage-gated L-type calcium channel blocker) on cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Method We designed a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. We randomized 60 patients with schizophrenia into 3 groups including isradipine 5 mg, raloxifine 60 mg, and placebo for 6 consequent weeks, all in the same shape capsules, 2 times a day, along with treatment as usual. The initial and final results of blood tests, electrocardiograms, and cognitive tests in specific domains, such as attention, processing speed, executive function, and verbal memory were evaluated. Results Our findings revealed a remarkable association between adjunctive raloxifene treatment and the alleviation of verbal memory deficits. Isradipine treatment significantly improved the verbal memory and attention dysfunction in some variables of the Stroop test, compared with the placebo. However, no effect was observed in processing speed and executive function deficits. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that isradipine is a novel therapy option improving verbal memory and attention, both related to its activity in the hippocampus and the cerebellum. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of action for both drugs in schizophrenia.

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