The Mental Health Issues of Diabetes Conference provided an opportunity to critically review the evidence on mental/behavioral health issues in diabetes informed by personal stories of individuals living with type 1 diabetes and their family members.
Why attend the mental health issues of diabetes Conference?
The Mental Health Issues of Diabetes Conference provided an opportunity to critically review the evidence on mental/behavioral health issues in diabetes informed by personal stories of individuals living with type 1 diabetes and their family members.
How does diabetes affect mental health?
The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes increases the risk by two- to threefold for comorbid mental health conditions, in particular depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders (51), as well as diabetes distress. Mental health disorders affect more than 80 million Americans and disrupt their ability to cope with activities of daily life.
What are the mental/behavioral health comorbidities of diabetes?
These mental/behavioral health comorbidities of diabetes are associated with poor adherence to treatment and poor glycemic control, thus increasing the risk for serious short- and long-term physical complications, which can result in blindness, amputations, stroke, cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, as well as premature death.
Do biomedical risk factors affect cognitive function in diabetes?
Biomedical risk factors for decreased cognitive functioning in type 1 diabetes: an 18 year follow-up of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) cohort. Diabetologia2011;54:245–255 [PMC free article][PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Introduction
The Mental Health Issues of Diabetes Conference (7–8 October 2013, Philadelphia, PA) sought to provide a scholarly as well as a patient- and family-informed review of the state of mental health care primarily for people living with type 1 diabetes.
Review of Conference Working Groups
The “Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2014” position statement ( 5) recommends routine screening for psychosocial problems, such as depression and diabetes-related distress, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and cognitive impairment.
Conclusions
The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes increases the risk by two- to threefold for comorbid mental health conditions, in particular depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders ( 51 ), as well as diabetes distress. Mental health disorders affect more than 80 million Americans and disrupt their ability to cope with activities of daily life.
Article Information
Funding. The Mental Health Issues of Diabetes: A National Conference (7–8 October 2013, Philadelphia, PA) was supported primarily by Universal Health Services, Inc., and cosponsored by the JDRF. L.H.P. was partly funded by the University of Chicago Diabetes Research and Training Center (P30-DK-020595 and 1U01-DK-103153-01). B.J.A.
What happens when mental health comorbidities of diabetes are not diagnosed and treated?
When mental health comorbidities of diabetes are not diagnosed and treated, the financial cost to society and health care systems is catastrophic, and the human suffering that results is profound.
What are the health problems associated with diabetes?
People with type 1 diabetes are also at risk for subclinical levels of diabetes distress and anxiety . These mental/behavioral health comorbidities of diabetes are associated with poor adherence to treatment and poor glycemic control, thus increasing the risk for serious short- and long-term physical complications, which can result in blindness, amputations, stroke, cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, as well as premature death. When mental health comorbidities of diabetes are not diagnosed and treated, the financial cost to society and health care systems is catastrophic, and the human suffering that results is profound. This review summarizes state-of-the-art presentations and working group scholarly reports from the Mental Health Issues of Diabetes Conference (7-8 October 2013, Philadelphia, PA), which included stakeholders from the National Institutes of Health, people living with type 1 diabetes and their families, diabetes consumer advocacy groups, the insurance industry, as well as psychologists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, and nurse practitioners who are all nationally and internationally recognized experts in type 1 diabetes research and care. At this landmark conference current evidence for the incidence and the consequences of mental health problems in type 1 diabetes was presented, supporting the integration of mental health screening and mental health care into routine diabetes medical care. Future research directions were recommended to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of paradigms of diabetes care in which physical and mental health care are both priorities.
What are the consequences of diabetes?
These mental/behavioral health comorbidities of diabetes are associated with poor adherence to treatment and poor glycemic control, thus increasing the risk for serious short- and long-term physical complications, which can result in blindness, amputations, stroke, cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, as well as premature death.
