Comparing the effectiveness of acceptance-based emotion regulation therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on hemoglobin glycosylated and self-care in patients with type II diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by impaired glucose regulation. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance-Based Emotion Regulation Therapy (ABERT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on HbA1c levels and self-care behaviors in patients living with T2D. Participants were randomly assigned to ABERT (n = 16), ACT (n = 17), and control (n = 17) groups. The treatment groups received therapy based on treatment manuals, while the control group received treatment as usual (i.e., standard medical treatment). Assessments were conducted pre- and post-treatment, with a six-month follow-up, measuring HbA1c levels and self-care behaviors. Results from repeated-measures ANOVAs and post-hoc analysis demonstrated that both ABERT and ACT led to significant improvements compared to the control group. However, ABERT was more effective than ACT in reducing HbA1c levels and enhancing self-care behaviors, with sustained benefits observed in the long term. At the individual level, a higher percentage of participants in the ACT and ABERT groups experienced a global improvement in HbA1c compared to the control group during the post-test assessment. Furthermore, a higher percentage of participants in the ABERT group showed global improvement compared to both the ACT and control groups in the post-test to follow-up period. No statistically significant differences in self-care behaviors were observed between the groups at the individual level. These findings suggest that the ABERT may be a valuable intervention for individuals living with T2D, though more studies are needed to examine this subject.