The effectiveness of compassion therapy on blood sugar, happiness and death anxiety in the elderly with type 2 diabetes

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of compassion therapy on blood sugar, happiness and death anxiety in the elderly with type 2 diabetes. The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with a control group with a follow-up period. Among the elderly women with diabetes in region 1 of Tehran in 1400, 29 people were selected as available research samples according to the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The instruments used in this study included a blood test, the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, and the Templer Death Anxiety. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean of pre-test and follow-up test of experimental and control groups in terms of blood sugar, happiness and death anxiety. In other words, compassion therapy reduced blood sugar and death anxiety and increased happiness in the elderly with type 2 diabetes (p <0.001). Consistent with the findings of the present study, compassion therapy can be suggested as an effective method to improve blood sugar, happiness and death anxiety in the elderly.