The following is a summary of “Effectiveness of psychological interventions on diabetes distress and glycemic level in adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the October 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Zu et al. 

Diabetes distress significantly impacts diabetes care. No meta-analysis has synthesized the short- and long-term effects of psychological interventions on diabetes distress in type 2 diabetes. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate evidence on psychological interventions tailored for diabetes distress, focusing on individuals with type 2 diabetes as the primary outcome. 

They searched 2 databases from inception to September 2024 and screened records using EndNote X9. The risk of bias was assessed with the Revised Cochrane tool, and the GRADE system evaluated the evidence with certainty. A random effects model was employed to determine the mean difference or standardized mean difference with 95% CI, along with subgroup and sensitivity analyses. 

The results showed that 22,279 records were yielded, with 18 studies included in the systematic review and a meta-analysis involving 16 studies representing 1,639 participants. Intervention types encompassed mindfulness-based and cognitive behavioral therapy, lasting from 4 weeks to 6 months. Psychological interventions significantly reduced diabetes distress in the short term for individuals with type 2 diabetes (SMD = -0.56; 95% CI = -0.90, -0.22; P=0.001), with subgroup analysis indicating enhanced effects when delivered in group formats by psychologists, utilizing technology components, or targeting participants with elevated baseline diabetes distress. However, both short- and long-term effects on HbA1c were non-significant (MD = 0.02; 95% CI = -0.23 to 0.26; P=0.89) and (MD = -0.27; 95% CI = -0.64 to 0.10; P=0.15), respectively, while the long-term effect on diabetes distress was also non-significant (SMD = -0.45; 95% CI = -0.93 to 0.03; P=0.07). 

Investigators concluded that psychological interventions tailored for diabetes distress effectively reduced diabetes distress levels immediately after treatment, though more trials are needed to strengthen the evidence in this area. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06125-z