Feeling More Confident When Low and Reducing Diabetes Distress
A Virtual Research Study in the Times of COVID-19
What is this?
This research study will consist of a 1 month period of practicing either progressive muscle relaxation or a method of paced breathing. The hope is that one or both of these interventions will help you feel more confident managing low blood sugars and also feel less diabetes distress. These types of techniques have been proven to improve cardiac functioning and decrease depression and anxiety. You will be compensated $40 for your participation.
What Is Involved?
What You Will Do
HRV Biofeedback
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback is a non-invasive type of paced, diaphragmatic breathing that is based on your specific health measures. This is done by measuring your heart rate, breathing rate, and skin temperature. This type of paced breathing helps regulate the part of your body responsible for "fight or flight." Regulating this response has been shown to decrease anxiety, fear, sadness, and many other emotions. This type of paced breathing has already been shown to improve cardiac functioning, chronic pain, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, migraines, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders. Now, we are looking to see if it will improve type 1 diabetes outcomes. If you are placed in the HRV Biofeedback group, we will measure and practice HRV Biofeedback 2 times across 1 month. Here is a helpful video to give you more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoU6juenhnU
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a relaxation technique that has been shown to reduce anxiety and tension. In this practice, you tense a specific group of muscles as hard as you can for a given amount of time, and then you release the tension. You move through all the muscles in your body, in a specific order, often working from head to toes. This should result in a calm, relaxed body and mind.
Practicing Biofeedback
If your are in the biofeedback group, you will practice your specific breathing pace for 15 minutes a day. If you are in the progressive muscle relaxation group, you will practice a guided progressive muscle relaxation exercise for 15 minutes a day. During this time, you will continue engaging in your diabetes management as prescribed by your doctor.
Surveys
You will also be asked to complete surveys on Hypoglycemia Confidence  and Diabetes Distress before and after treatment.
