Comparison of the Effectiveness of Integrated Meta-Diagnostic Treatment and Positive Thinking Skills Training on Adherence to Treatment and Coronavirus Anxiety in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that plays a key role in reducing health and quality of life and patients suffering from it show high anxiety, poor self-care behaviors and low adherence to medical treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of integrated meta-diagnostic treatment and positive thinking skills training on adherence to treatment and coronavirus anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design (three groups) with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all patients with type 2 diabetes who were members of the Diabetes Association referring to Health Center in Ahvaz in 1399, from which 45 people were selected using targeted sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 people in each group) and one control group (15 people). Research data were collected using Adherence to Chronic Diseases Treatment Questionnaire of Modanloo and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale of Alipour, et al. The first experimental group underwent integrated meta-diagnostic treatment of Barlow et al. for 12 sessions of 60 minutes and the second experimental group was given eight 60-minute sessions of positive thinking skills training based on Seligman's theory, and the control group did not receive any psychological intervention. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance, analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test.

The results showed that both integrated meta-diagnostic treatment and positive thinking skills training improved treatment adherence and reduced coronavirus anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes (p<0.01). There was no difference between the two types of integrated meta-diagnostic treatment and positive thinking skills training regarding adherence to treatment and coronavirus anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results showed that both treatments had a similar effect on improving adherence to treatment and reducing coronavirus anxiety in patients.

The results indicated the significant effect of integrated meta-diagnostic treatment and positive thinking skills training on improving adherence to treatment and reducing corona disease anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, psychologists and medical centers can use integrated meta-diagnostic treatment and positive thinking skills training to improve the condition of patients with diabetes.