Impact of ACT-based Interventions on Diabetes-related Outcomes

Individuals with insulin-treated diabetes can experience psychological difficulties associated with living with and managing the condition. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is being increasingly used to treat these psychological difficulties, with research in this area indicating positive psychological and diabetes-related outcomes (Gregg, Callaghan, Hayes, \& Glenn-Lawson, 2007; Shayeghian, Hassanabadi, Aguilar-Vafaie, Amiri, \& Besharat, 2016). Given the lack of psychology funding in diabetes care provision, a financially feasible theory-based intervention is much-needed (Diabetes UK, 2008). ACT may be the solution as it can be delivered in smaller modules. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of two online ACT-based interventions (a mindfulness-based intervention \[MBI\] and a values-plus-goals intervention \[VGI\]) on wellbeing, diabetes self-management, coping style and glycaemic control among a sample of adults with insulin-treated diabetes. It also aims to examine whether the interventions are associated with changes in diabetes acceptance and valued living, and whether diabetes acceptance and valued living are associated with the aforementioned outcomes. Participants will be recruited from the diabetes outpatient clinics at Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to take part in the study. They will be randomly assigned to take part in either the MBI or VGI, which are both 4-week interventions. Participants will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires to measure their wellbeing, diabetes self-management, coping style, diabetes acceptance and valued living at the beginning of the study, at the end of the intervention and at a 1-month follow-up. Glycaemic control will be measured at the beginning of the study and at a 2-month follow up. It is hypothesised that both interventions will improve diabetes-related outcomes. It is hypothesised that MBI may be associated with increases in acceptance and more positive emotion