Association between exposure to a PERMA model-based positive psychology intervention and levels of psychological distress and compliance behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a quasi-experimental study

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of positive psychological intervention of the PERMA model on psychological distress and compliance behavior in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsThis study used convenience sampling to enroll 120 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) who were admitted between January and December 2023. Participants were assigned to one of two non-equivalent groups based on their treatment pathways in clinical practice: the intervention group (n = 60) that received positive psychology interventions based on the PERMA model in addition to standard care, and the control group (n = 60) that received standard care only. After a three-month follow-up period, glycemic control indicators (including Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, and 2-h postprandial blood glucose), diabetes-related psychological distress scores, and self-management behavior scale scores were compared between the two cohorts.ResultCompared to the control group, the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in HbA1c (7.16 ± 0.59), fasting blood glucose (5.53 ± 0.72), and 2-h postprandial blood glucose (8.26 ± 0.94) (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the intervention group showed significantly lower scores for diabetes-related psychological distress and significantly higher scores across all dimensions of self-management behaviors (all p < 0.05).ConclusionThe PERMA model-based positive psychology intervention effectively alleviates psychological distress, enhances self-management capabilities, and improves glycemic control in patients with T2DM. It represents a valuable adjunctive approach to standard diabetes care.