Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on the Quality of Life and Physical Indices of Patients with Diabetes

The incidence of diabetes disrupts the regular flow of life and affects the quality of life in different aspects. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on the quality of life and physical indices of patients with diabetes. 

This semi-experimental study was conducted based on a pre- and post-test design. The statistical population consisted of all patients with diabetes who referred to Alzahra Hospital and Kourosh Clinic in Isfahan during 2018. A targeted sampling method was used to perform the sampling. In total, 24 patients with diabetes were selected and assigned randomly into two groups of control and experimental. The experimental group was subjected to acceptance and commitment therapy during eight 90-min sessions. The data were collected before and after the intervention using a questionnaire, physical indices, and urine samples. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 23) through  analysis of covariance, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Fisher's F-test.

The results showed that acceptance and commitment therapy had a significant effect on the quality of life, physical and mental health, and physical indices of patients (P<0.05).

According to the results of this study, acceptance and commitment therapy can be used to improve the quality of life and physical indices among diabetic patients.