Value-based Emotion-focused Educational Programme to Reduce Diabetes-related Distress

The VEMOFIT intervention involves four biweekly two hours sessions over a period of about six weeks, and a booster at three months follow-up. It consists of a mixture of 1) exploring illness perceptions and personal meanings of diabetes, 2) cognition-focused education on diabetes and practical skills in self-management and 3) emotion-focused training on recognising emotions in the self and others. Each group will consist of 10 to 12 participants of equal representation by the patients and their significant others.

Patients in the health clinics randomised to the AG, will receive the usual T2D care by the clinic doctors and education by the clinic paramedics based on the recommendations in the Malaysian clinical guidelines. At T1, T2 and T4, patients (not including their significant others) in AG will be gathered in groups of 10-12 people for the primary and secondary outcomes evaluation. This session will include general discussion on feeling about and coping with T2D, social support at home and satisfaction with treatment and care received at the respective clinics.