Diabetes Distress and Unmet Support Needs Hinder Optimal Care for Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors' conclusion
Most adolescents with T2D experience significant DD, impaired general emotional well-being and/or depressive symptoms. They also have considerable unmet support needs relevant to optimising their well-being and diabetes self-management.
Study context
- Population
- Adolescents with T2D recruited via two tertiary diabetes clinics; mean ± SD age 15.7 ± 2.1 years, median (IQR) diabetes duration 1.8 (0.8–2.6) years, median (IQR) HbA1c 6.9 (6.0–9.5)%22 females
- Participants
- 40 adolescents
- Outcome
- Diabetes distress (Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS)) and emotional/mental health (WHO-5, PHQ-2)
Methodological detailssurvey, two tertiary diabetes clinics, inductive thematic analysis, Treatment: 19 metformin, 18 metformin plus injectables, 3 lifestyle management
- Survey
- Two tertiary diabetes clinics
- Inductive thematic analysis
- Treatment: 19 metformin, 18 metformin plus injectables, 3 lifestyle management
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
DD, emotional well-being and depressive symptoms
- Moderate-to-severe DD
- 21 (53%)
- Suboptimal emotional well-being
- 16 (40%)
- Depressive symptoms
- 23 (58%)
- Both DD and depressive symptoms
- 15 (38%)
- Neither DD nor depressive symptoms
- 11 (28%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
What adolescents wished health professionals understood (qualitative)
- Four themes: diabetes stigma, management burden, diabetes is challenging for young people, impact on mental health
Support desired from diabetes teams (qualitative)
- Five themes: empathy and motivation; mental health support; more frequent and convenient appointments; access to and choice of medications and management tools; discussions about the future
Original publication
Diabetes Distress and Unmet Support Needs Hinder Optimal Care for Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed Methods Study. Pediatr Diabetes. Published 17 January 2025. doi:10.
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