The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on Psychological Distress Tolerance, Sexual Function, and Psychosocial Distress in Diabetic Patients

Diabetes is a condition that can have numerous negative consequences across various individual and social dimensions. Therefore, identifying and applying effective therapeutic approaches to mitigate these consequences is of great importance. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on psychological distress tolerance, sexual function, and psychosocial distress in patients with type 2 diabetes. The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and a two-month follow-up, including a control group. The statistical population consisted of all women with type 2 diabetes who attended Kasra Hospital in Tehran. In this design, 30 women were selected using purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group received 8 sessions of 90-minute mindfulness-based stress reduction training. Participants completed the Psychological Distress Tolerance Questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, and the Diabetes-Related Psychosocial Distress Scale before, after the intervention, and after the follow-up phase. Repeated measures ANOVA and SPSS software version 24 were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that mindfulness-based stress reduction training was effective in improving psychological distress tolerance, sexual function, and psychosocial distress in diabetic patients. Mindfulness-based stress reduction training can be used to help diabetic patients improve their psychological distress tolerance, sexual function, and psychosocial distress.