Effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy on the self-care behaviors and symptoms of depression and anxiety in women with type 2 diabetes: a case study

Diabetes is a chronic disease with undesirable complications. In addition to physical complications, some psychological problems, especially depression and anxiety are more common among people with diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on the self-care behaviors and symptoms of depression and anxiety in women with type 2 diabetes. In this single-case experimental design study, 3 diabetic women referred to Tabriz diabetes association who were in the severe and very severe categories of the depression and anxiety subscales of depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS) were selected for the study during 2013-2014. Intervention procedures were individually conducted on the participants in eight sessions. To measure the variables, the summary of diabetes self-care activities and DASS questionnaires were used. The improvement percentage, effect size and graphic analysis suggested that CBT can lead to the enhancement of self-care behaviors, reduction of depression symptoms, and relative reduction of anxiety symptoms in women with type 2 diabetes. Using effective psychological interventions such as CBT can enhance mood, reduce anxiety and adhere more to treatment recommendations and thus they can help prevent the complications of diabetes and take an effective step in order to increase the level of physical and mental health of these patients.