• Introduction
• Preparations
• Protocol
  • Abstract
  • Background
  • Objectives
  • Methods
  • Analysis
  • Ethics
  • Organisations and support
  • References
  • Research questions
• Training
• Procedure
• A Patient's view

• 
• Print

Background

Psychosocial factors are relevant to nearly all aspects of diabetes management, and protecting and promoting emotional well-being (quality of life) has been recognized as an important goal of diabetes care. International guidelines for psychosocial care in diabetes indicate growing evidence that psychological care can help to improve both medical and psychological outcomes. Unfortunately, mental health needs of people with diabetes are often poorly recognized and addressed. This is of great concern, given the high rates of coping difficulties and psychological co-morbidity in diabetes, particularly affective disorders, adversely impacting well-being, self-care and glycaemic control. Recent findings suggest that diabetes patients in poor mental health run a higher risk of not receiving optimum diabetes care, which is particularly worrying.

Research to date, including the cross-national DAWN study (Diabetes, Attitudes, Wishes and Needs; www.dawnstudy.com), underscores the need to improve the recognition and management of psychological needs in diabetes patients. Indeed, systematic monitoring of well-being as part of routine diabetes care has been repeatedly advocated, and was identified as a priority at the 2nd International DAWN summit and included in the IDF Global Guideline for Type 2 diabetes (2005).

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