Diabetes related distress is high in inpatients with diabetes

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to assess diabetes-related distress in inpatients and its association with metabolic control in people with diabetes type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 107 inpatients with DM1 (age 45.9 years, diabetes duration 18.7 years, HbA1c 8.4%/67.8 mmol/mol) and 109 with DM2 (age 62.0 years, diabetes duration 16.2 years, HbA1c 8.9%/74.3 mmol/mol) from a University department for endocrinology and metabolic diseases (Germany) were included over 2 years. Diabetes-related distress was assessed with the PAID questionnaire (range 0-100, higher scores imply higher diabetes-related distress, cut-off ≥ 40). The PAID questionnaire was completed by 214 of 216 participants.

RESULTS

Fifty-one of 214 individuals (23.8%) showed high distress (PAID score ≥ 40). The mean PAID score was 28.1 ± 17.5 in all participants with no difference between DM1 and DM2 (28.1 ± 17.4 vs. 26.2 ± 16.9, p = 0.532). Individuals with DM2 on insulin scored higher than patients without insulin (27.8 ± 17.6 vs. 18.7 ± 8.5, p = 0.004). Additionally, people with DM1 treated with a system for continuous glucose monitoring (n = 50, 33.1 ± 18.8) scored higher than participants without such system (n = 32, 20.6 ± 13.3, p = 0.001). HbA1c was not correlated with the PAID score in both, DM1 (r = 0.040, p = 0.684) and DM2 (r = - 0.024, p = 0.804). Participants with DM2 and severe hypoglycaemia/last 12 months scored higher than people without (PAID score 43.0 ± 20.4 vs. 25.1 ± 16.5, p = 0.026). Frequency of non-severe hypoglycaemia was not associated with the PAID score in DM1 and DM2.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with diabetes treated in hospital for problems with diabetes suffer frequently from diabetes-related distress (~ 24%) regardless of diabetes type.

Diabetes-related burden and distress in people with diabetes mellitus at primary care level in Germany

AIMS

The importance of diabetes-related distress for the treatment of diabetes is emphasised in national and international guidelines recommending routinely screening for psychosocial problems. Data of investigations regarding diabetes-related distress on primary care are rare in Germany though most people with diabetes are treated without insulin therapy at primary care level.

METHODS

Three hundred and forty-five people with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2, n = 336, 229 without and 107 with insulin therapy) and type 1 (DM1, n = 9) were interviewed with the PAID questionnaire in the period from 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2015 in a general practice. A PAID score ≥40 (range 0-100) was considered as high diabetes-related distress.

RESULTS

The mean PAID score of all participants was 3.9 ± 7.0 (DM2 without insulin 2.7 ± 6.3, DM2 with insulin therapy 6.0 ± 8.0, DM1 6.8 ± 4.9) and far below the threshold of 40 points. Only 1.2% of all responders showed high diabetes-related distress (score ≥40). People on insulin therapy with HbA1c >7.5% and with diagnosed depression prior to the study scored significantly higher. Furthermore, there are weak correlations between the PAID score and HbA1c (r = 0.253, p < 0.001), duration of diabetes (r = 0.169, p = 0.002), insulin dosage (r = 0.283, p < 0.001) and age (r = -0.129, p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

Only 1.2% of our outpatients with diabetes on primary care level showed high diabetes-related distress. Higher rates in the current literature are probably due to not investigating on primary care level. Guidelines should consider this.

History of mild hypoglycaemia does not affect the prevalence of diabetes-related distress in people with diabetes

AIMS

The occurrence of hypoglycaemia is assumed to be associated with increased diabetes-related distress. We investigated the association of mild hypoglycaemia (MH) with diabetes-related distress in a large outpatient cohort with diabetes type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2).

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, we recorded MH and simultaneously assessed diabetes-related distress with the PAID questionnaire in 783 people with diabetes [female 43.8 %, age 63.7 years, duration of diabetes 17.3 years, HbA1c 7.0 % (53 mmol/mol)] in an university outpatient department for metabolic diseases over a period of three months. Participants with and without MH were compared.

RESULTS

People with DM1 (n = 191) had 1.09 MH per week. Diabetes-related distress was not different comparing people with DM1 with (n = 125) and without (n = 66) MH (PAID score 18.4 ± 16.2 vs. 16.6 ± 15.0, p = 0.449). The frequency of MH per week in people with DM2 on oral antidiabetic therapy (n = 182) and with insulin therapy (n = 410) is low (0.03 vs. 0.1 episodes). People with DM2 on insulin therapy with (n = 72) and without (n = 338) MH have a comparable PAID score (17.9 ± 13.3 vs. 16.8 ± 14.9, p = 0.552). 14.4 % of those with DM1 as well as 12.5 % of those with DM2 on insulin feel hypoglycaemic events to be a "somewhat serious problem" or "serious problem".

CONCLUSIONS

In an outpatient setting, MH is not associated with increased diabetes-related distress or burden in people with DM1 or DM2.