Peer-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Training to Improve Functioning in Patients With Diabetes: A Cluster-Randomized...

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based programs delivered by trained community members could improve functioning and pain in individuals who lack access to such programs. We tested the effectiveness of a peer-delivered diabetes self-management program integrating CBT principles in improving physical activity, functional status, pain, quality of life (QOL), and health outcomes in individuals with diabetes and chronic pain.

In this community-based, cluster-randomized controlled trial, intervention participants received a 3-month, peer-delivered, telephone-administered program. Attention control participants received a peer-delivered general health advice program. Outcomes were changes in functional status and pain (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), QOL (Short Form 12), and physiologic measures (hemoglobin A_1c, systolic blood pressure, body mass index); physical activity was the explanatory outcome.

Of 195 participants with follow-up data, 80% were women, 96% African Americans, 74% had annual income <$20,000, and 64% had high school education or less. At follow-up, compared with controls, intervention participants had greater improvement in functional status (-10 ± 13 vs -5 ± 18, P = .002), pain (-10.5 ± 19 vs -4.8 ± 21, P = .01), and QOL (4.8 ± 8.8 vs 3.8 ± 8.8, P = .001). Physiologic measures did not change significantly in either group. At 3 months, a greater proportion of intervention than control participants reported no pain or did other forms of exercise when pain prevented them from walking for exercise.

This peer-delivered CBT-based intervention improved functioning, pain, QOL, and self-reported physical activity despite pain in individuals with diabetes and chronic pain. Trained community members can deliver effective CBT-based interventions in rural and under-resourced communities.