Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Program for People With Diabetes Mellitus

August 25, 2026 updated by: Center for Strategic Studies and Health Training, Syria

Effectiveness of A Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Program on Quality of Life and Glycosylated Hemoglobin Control of People With Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Damascus, Syria.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral program in improving quality of life and glycemic control among adults with diabetes mellitus in Damascus, Syria. The intervention combined cognitive behavioral strategies and mindfulness practices and was delivered through 14 weekly sessions over approximately three months. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, and glycemic control was assessed using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. The study compared participants receiving the intervention with a control group receiving routine diabetes care.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition that requires continuous self-management and may negatively affect psychological well-being, quality of life, and glycemic control. Psychological distress and difficulties in coping with diabetes may interfere with self-care behaviors and disease management.

This randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral program among adults with diabetes mellitus in Damascus, Syria. The intervention was designed to address psychological and behavioral factors that may affect diabetes self-management. It combined cognitive behavioral techniques, including psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and coping strategies, with mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques, emotional regulation, and home practice.

A total of 40 participants completed the study, with 20 participants allocated to the intervention group and 20 to the control group. Eligible adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. Participants in the intervention group received 14 weekly counseling sessions over approximately three months, with each session lasting approximately 90 minutes. The control group received routine diabetes care without an additional psychological intervention.

Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), which evaluates physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental domains. Glycemic control was assessed using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measured before and after the intervention. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used during screening to identify participants with mild to moderate depressive symptoms and determine eligibility; it was not used as an outcome measure.

The study aimed to determine whether the integrated mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral program could improve quality of life and glycemic control compared with routine diabetes care

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

40

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Syria
    • Damascus Governorate
      • Damascus, Damascus Governorate, Syria
        • Center for Strategic Studies and Health Training

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18-70 years.
  • Diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • Baseline HbA1c level greater than 6.5%.
  • Mild to moderate depressive symptoms according to the Beck Depression - -Inventory (BDI).
  • Ability to understand the study procedures and intervention instructions.
  • Willingness to participate in all intervention sessions.
  • Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe psychiatric disorders requiring specialized psychiatric care.
  • Acute medical conditions that could prevent participation in the intervention.
  • Receiving regular psychotherapy or another similar psychological intervention.
  • Inability to understand the intervention instructions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention
Participants received a structured mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral program consisting of 14 weekly sessions over approximately three months, in addition to routine diabetes care.
Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Program
Participants in the intervention group received a structured mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral program consisting of 14 weekly sessions delivered over approximately three months. Each session lasted approximately 90 minutes, including a 15-minute break. The program incorporated psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness exercises, behavioral activation, emotional regulation, relaxation techniques, coping strategies, and home practice assignments. The intervention was delivered by qualified mental health professionals in addition to routine diabetes care.
No Intervention: Routine Diabetes Care (Control)
Participants received routine diabetes care without any additional psychological or behavioral intervention during the study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Level
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months (post-intervention).
Change in HbA1c level from baseline to immediately after completion of the intervention.
Baseline and 3 months (post-intervention).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Within-group change in Quality of Life Measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 months (evaluated in the intervention arm).
Change in quality of life from baseline to 3 months (post-intervention), measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire within the intervention group. The questionnaire assesses four primary domains: Physical Health, Psychological Health, Social Relationships, and Environment, with domain scores ranging from 4 to 20, where higher scores indicate better quality of life. An overall quality of life index is also calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values reflecting superior general quality of life.
Baseline and 3 months (evaluated in the intervention arm).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Center for Strategic Studies and Health Training, Syria

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: ZaynALsham M AlQatrangi, BPharm, MPH, Center for Strategic Studies and Health Training

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 26, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 30, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

January 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 17, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 25, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CSSHT-MBCB-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers because of privacy and confidentiality considerations and to protect the personal and health information of study participants.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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