The Effectiveness of Group Training Spiritually Multidimensional Psychotherapy on Stress Syndromes among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Psychological stress often raises blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Group Training Spiritually Multidimensional Psychotherapy (SMP) on stress syndromes among patients with type 2 diabetes.

This semi-experimental research was conducted with participation of 60 patients with diabetes covered by the Mashhad Diabetes Foundation, who were selected by snowball sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group received spiritually multidimensional psychotherapy group training in 12 sessions of 90 minutes weekly. Before and after the intervention, the stress symptoms questionnaire was administered among both experimental and control groups. Data analysis was performed using single and multivariate covariance using SPSS software version 21.

The mean (SD) age of the experimental group was 45 (8.1), and control group 45.3 (8.3). In the experimental group, the mean (SD) cognitive stress score in the pre-test was 21.5(5.4), which decreased to 13.6(5.8) in the post-test (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) cognitive stress score in the pre-test was 21.8 (4.7), which reached 21.8 (4.3) in the post-test. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) emotional stress score in the pre-test was 23.8 (7.1), and in the post-test, it decreased to 15.8 (6.6) (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) emotional stress score in the pre-test was 23.3 (6.3), which reached 23.5 (6.1) in the post-test.In the experimental group, the mean (SD) behavioral stress score in the pre-test was 16.2 (5.1), which decreased to 11.1 (5.3) in the post-test (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) of behavioral stress score in the pre-test was 17.1 (4.1), whichreached 16.4 (5.7) in the post-test. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) physical stress score in the pre-test was 45.9 (21.4), and in the post-test, it decreased to 34.2 (17.5) (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) physical stress score in the pre-test was 45.5 (21.7), which reached 45.9 (18.1) in the post-test. In the experimental group, the mean (SD) general stress score in the pre-test was 107.3 (33.6), and in the post-test, which decreased to 74.1 (31.4) (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) of general stress score in the pre-test was 107.7 (32.3), which reached 107.8 (27.4) in the post-test.

The study showed that spiritually multidimensional psychotherapy training reduced stress symptoms amongpatients with type 2 diabetes.