Effect of emotional intelligence in glycemic control in patients with type II diabetes

Diabetes, in addition to adverse physical effects, is associated with many psychological problems. The correlation between physical health and emotional intelligence are acceptable. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of emotional intelligence training in glycemic control in patients with type II diabetes. The present study was a quasi-experimental research, which was conducted in Mashhad city, Iran. The participants included 20 patients referring to the diabetic centers. They were selected through convenience sampling and randomly divided into two groups of experiment (n=10) and control (n=10). To measure blood glucose, the level of HbA1c in patients was measured before and after training. The experimental group attended in a period of emotional intelligence training. The training sessions were held as group discussion during 8 weeks, one session of 120-min per week. The findings suggest that emotional intelligence training significantly reduced the level of blood glucose (HbA1c) in the test group compared to the control group. Based on the results, emotional intelligence training, as a psychological intervention, by affecting understanding, interpretation, regulation and efficient use of excitement, is effective along with medication therapy in controlling blood glucose in type II diabetic patients.