Yoga-based Mindfulness Training as an Intervention for the Reduction of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Yoga has also been implemented in healthcare institutions to manage disease-sequelae, including pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and insomnia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Yoga-based mindfulness training on anxiety and depression in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at clinics of the Shiraz University of Medical Science.

This study was conducted via a quasi-experimental method pretest-posttest design on 10-17 years old subjects with T1D, Shiraz, Iran, in 2019-2020. Twenty patients were randomized to the education group (n=10) and the control group (n=10). Data collection tools included the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21). The group training intervention was done for the experimental group (ten weeks, 45 minutes every week) without training for the control group. Three months after the training, two groups filled questionnaires. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using SPSS- 22 software.

The findings revealed a significant reduction in the mean anxiety level of patients in the intervention group before and after intervention (P< 0.05). Furthermore, following group training, there was a significant change in the mean of depression and stress among the patients in the intervention group (P< 0.05).

Yoga-based mindfulness training was found to improve depression and anxiety in T1DM adolescents. As a consequence, including training sessions in the appropriate care plans would be advantageous.