The efficiency of Mindfulness Based Biofeedback Therapy on depression, anxiety and HbA1c in patients with type 1 diabetes

Mindfulness is a mind-body medical technique which is used alone or in combination with other techniques for patients with chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was evaluating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based biofeedback therapy (MBBT) on depression, anxiety and HbA1c in type 1 diabetic patients.
This study was an experimental study with pretest-posttest design and a control group. A total of 28 patients were selected by random sampling among diabetic patients who referred to Kalar Health Center in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq from 2014 to 2015. Then selected samples were then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups, each with 14 participants. MBBT was presented in 8 sessions. Before and after training, depression, anxiety and HbA1c were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS-22 using descriptive statistics, Levene’s test and ANCOVA.
The results of posttest indicated no significant difference between control and experimental groups in depression factor (p=0.475). However, a significant decline was found for state anxiety (p= 0/016), trait anxiety (p= 0/031) and HbA1c (p=0/012) in experimental group, based on the findings of posttest.
Mindfulness-based biofeedback therapy has significant effects on anxiety and HbA1c but no effects on depression in type 1 diabetic patient.