The Effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on Glycemic Control and Psychological Well-being of Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Review of Experimental Studies

Abstract

Most diabetes mellitus patients experience psychological problems resulting from the disease, disease management, and complications. Inadequate management of psychological problems may place patients at greater risk for depression. This systematic review aims to identify the effects of mindful interventions in controlling glycemic levels and psychological well-being in diabetes mellitus patients. The systematic review conducted on the study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. This systematic review uses the Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. The keywords used are diabetes mellitus type 2, mindfulness-based stress reduction, AND/OR, glycemic control, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and psychological well-being. The words used are adjusted to the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH). The articles used are published in English in 2014 – 2023, full-text, and are research articles. The search results showed that most mindfulness interventions used were MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) for 8 weeks taught by professionals. Mindfulness is provided by trained professionals and taught again using communication media, namely CDs or mobile applications. Mindfulness has a significant effect on reducing fasting blood sugar levels and HbA1c in type 2 DM patients. Mindfulness improves psychological well-being and reduces depression, anxiety, resilience, and emotional health in diabetes patients. Mindfulness is a therapy that can be used to manage the psychological problems of DM patients where with good emotional control the patient can control glycemic levels to normal limits