Diabetes Care with a Focus on Mental Health
A1C.The range of time. Amounts of cholesterol. Weight. The blood pressure. Lipids. These indicators are most likely at the top of your list of topics to discuss with your healthcare team. However, how frequently are you questioned about your mental health by your doctor? What about diabetes-related stress or possible stigma? How frequently are you asked the straightforward question, "How are you?" by your healthcare provider?
A1C is a common health marker that is significant. They aid in illuminating the treatment of diabetes, general health, and risk for both immediate and long-term problems. But they don't tell the whole narrative by themselves.
Walther Jensen, a supporter of type 2 diabetes, stated in his presentation at the inaugural Research Accelerating Psychosocial Innovations in Diabetes (RAPID) Conference in November in Copenhagen, Denmark, that a diabetes diagnosis has two aspects: the clinical aspect and the psychological aspect.
Jensen, who works in Danish cinema and advertising and was given a type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 2014, He participates in a number of patient advocacy organizations and is particularly interested in enhancing communication between healthcare professionals and newly diagnosed diabetics. What is the cause of this interest? Particularly about the link between mental health and diabetes, people ought to be better informed when they are initially diagnosed. Jensen is an expert in this.
When Jensen was first diagnosed, the volume of information that was being thrown at him left him feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what was accurate and what was false. He appreciated the assistance from his medical staff but wished they had done a better job of directing him. It might have assisted him in coping with the emotional strain of learning that he had a sickness that would fundamentally alter the way he lived his life and was riddled with misconceptions, incorrect information, and unfounded cure promises.
Jensen, however, was determined to reframe his diagnosis and devise strategies for excluding the false assertions. Instead of viewing it as a burden, he realized how diabetes had positively impacted the way he lived. My diagnosis actually saved my life, he claimed.
He actively sought out information, joined patient advocacy organizations, took part in workshops, and worked on research projects to advance his understanding of diabetes and the healthcare of others. After some time, he understood that regulating blood sugar levels was only one aspect of having diabetes. Your identity changes as a result of it.
The Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD) director, Professor Jane Speight, finds Jensen's statements to be particularly accurate. In her keynote address at the 2022 RAPID conference, she drew attention to the fact that, even though we are aware of the significant challenges that mental health presents in the treatment of diabetes, including the fight against stigma related to the disease and diabetes distress, it is rarely given priority in clinical care for those with the disease.
The RAPID conference was established in part to raise awareness of the mental health and psychosocial effects of diabetes and to bring together researchers, medical professionals, and individuals with diabetes who are trying to address these issues.
The interaction between the clinician and the patient is one of the major areas Speight identifies for improvement. She used Bill Polonsky, one of the finest authorities on diabetes, to present the concept, saying that "the clinician-patient relationship is the least researched complication of diabetes." According to research, persons with diabetes experience loneliness, judgment, and isolation from their medical professionals. They are looking for a supporter who will speak up for them and stand by them.
Most diabetics nowadays fall short of their healthcare goals for parameters like A1C or blood pressure. This problem is a result of communication breakdowns that leave people with diabetes searching in the dark for information or prejudicial attitudes that make them hesitant to trust their medical staff.
In order to underline this, Speight shared replies she had gleaned from her research. The following sentence was given to study participants to complete: "I wish my health professional understood..." People with diabetes felt criticized and unsupported by their healthcare staff, according to the comments.
Giving medical staff the resources they require to provide compassionate care and promoting their emphasis on the psychosocial components of diabetes care are two ways to address this.
Speight listed numerous tools that medical professionals can use, including:
The "Diabetes and Emotional Health" guidance from the National Diabetes Services Scheme aids medical practitioners in recognizing, addressing, and discussing emotional health with people with diabetes.
The guide includes summary cards that offer healthcare workers practical advice on how to help patients manage the mental and emotional difficulties associated with diabetes.
This handbook, "Diabetes and Emotional Health," is available in the US thanks to the American Diabetes Association.
A website called dStigmatize offers information about the stigma associated with diabetes.
Speight also noted the following resources for diabetics:
Jensen stated that he wished he had been pointed in the direction of these instruments at the time of his initial diagnosis. At every appointment, Speight advises patients with diabetes to expect to be questioned about the psychosocial effects of their condition and to speak up for themselves if they aren't.
