Comparison of anxiety disorders symptoms and related transdiagnostic factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes and healthy individuals

Transdiagnostic models are important by focus on fundamental processes underlying multiple disorders and help to explain comorbidity among disorders as well as may lead to more effective assessment and treatment of disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was compare of anxiety disorders symptoms and related transdiagnostic factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes and healthy individuals.
In an ex-post facto study, 63 individual with type 2 diabetes and 63 healthy individuals were selected by convenient sampling method. The participates completed generalized anxiety disorder scale (2006), severity measure for panic disorder-adult (2013), social phobia inventory (2000), cognitive avoidance questionnaire (2008), intolerance of uncertainty scale (1994), metacognition questionnaire (2004), acceptance and action questionnaire-II (2011) and cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (2006). Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA).
The results showed that there was significant difference between two groups in generalized anxiety (P=0.0001) and panic symptoms (P=0.009). However, no difference was observed between both groups considering the symptoms of social anxiety disorder (P=0.79). Also, there is significant difference between two groups in all transdiagnostic factors, namely cognitive avoidance (P=0.0001), intolerance of uncertainty (P=0.009), negative beliefs about worry (P=0.0001), maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (P=0.01), except experiential avoidance (P=0.22).
It seems that individuals with type 2 diabetes experience the symptoms of anxiety disorders and related transdiagnostic factors more severely than others. These results indicated the importance of transdiagnostic factors as well as the development of transdiagnostic psychotherapy programs along with therapeutic treatments for diabetic patients.