Kindness Matters: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindful Self-Compassion Intervention Improves Depression, Distress, and HbA1cAmong Patients With Diabetes

What is it about?

The report presents findings from a study evaluating whether training in mindful self-compassion improves psychological and metabolic outcomes among persons with diabetes. This report provides one of the first demonstrations that a psychological intervention can improve the key biological marker of diabetes.

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Why is it important?

Although CBT and mindfulness interventions have shown some improvement in subjective outcomes (i.e., depression), effects on disease progression have been elusive. Diabetes is a massive health challenge for patients in which "failures" to attain health targets are inevitable. Training in managing disappointments and failures may give patients the tools they need to sustain effort and minimize self-critical responses.