Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce insulin, the hormone that changes sugar and starches into energy for the body. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or it ignores insulin. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. The complex and constant requirements of managing diabetes can be stressful and affect mental and social functioning.
Mental Health Effects
Those with diabetes may experience depression and anxiety. A study published in the June 2001 issue of "Diabetes Care" investigated the rates of diabetes and depression, finding that having diabetes doubles the odds of being depressed and women with diabetes are more likely to have depression than men with diabetes. Diabetic individuals also have higher levels of anxiety, as noted in the December 2002 edition of "The Journal of Psychosomatic Research."
Depression and anxiety can interfere with the health care of individuals with diabetes. Diabetic individuals with depression or anxiety are at greater risk for being noncompliant with medical treatment and for developing medical complications, according to a review of studies in the May/June 1999 issue of "Diabetes and Metabolism Research Reviews."
The July 2009 issue of "Diabetes Spectrum" reported that individuals with type 1 diabetes are at risk for developing an eating disorder. They also may not take their insulin or decrease the amount of insulin to lose weight. Having an eating disorder with diabetes may cause medical complications and even death.
Social Effects
Diabetes can cause medical complications that affect the ability to work, spend time with family and friends, sexual functioning and overall quality of life. According to the 1999 "Diabetes and Metabolism Research Reviews" findings, individuals with type 1 diabetes report that diabetic care interferes with their work and those with type 2 diabetes report interference with their social life.
The report also found that quality of life differs with gender, age and education. Men with diabetes report better quality of life than women with diabetes. Younger diabetics have better quality of life than older diabetics. People with more education or income report greater quality of life.
Social Support and Diabetes Care
Having good social support can help ease the stress of having diabetes and improve diabetes care, but women and men seem to need different types of social support, according to an article in the October 2005 "Patient Education and Counseling." Women's diabetic care improves with the support from a spouse or significant other. For both men and women, diabetic care improves with receiving support from peers, either over the telephone or through live or Internet support groups. Support from friends helps adolescents adhere to diabetic treatment.
References
- "Diabetes Care"; The Prevalence of Comorbid Depression in Adults with Diabetes: a Meta-Analysis; Ryan Anderson, Kenneth Freedland, Ray Clouse, and Patrick Lustman; June 2001
- "Diabetes and Metabolism Research Reviews"; Qualify of Life and Diabetes; Richard Rubin and Mark Peyrot; May/June 1999
- "Diabetes Spectrum"; Eating Disorders and Diabetes: Introduction and Overview; Patricia Colton, Gary Rodin, Richard Bergenstal, and Christopher Parkin; July 2009
- "Journal of Psychosomatic Research"; Prevalence of Anxiety in Adults with Diabetes: a Systematic Review; Allison Grigsby, Ryan Anderson, Kenneth Freedland, Ray Clouse, and Patrick Lustman; December 2002
- "Patient Education and Counseling"; Social Support in Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Controlled Intervention Studies; Henk van Dam, Frans van der Horst, Lut Knoops, Richard Ryckman, Harry Crebolder, and Bart van den Borne; October 2005
