Results from two studies evaluating the impact of mental health support for people with diabetes found significant benefits for patient outcomes.
As the number of diabetes cases continues to rise, addressing mental health issues is a key element in helping people with diabetes manage their care plans.
For example, diabetes distress includes the fear, worry, and burden associated with the experience of diabetes. Diabetes distress, which is distinct from depression, is common in adults with type 1 diabetes.
In fact, for any period of 18 months. 50 to 33 percent Percentage of people with diabetes experience increased levels of diabetes distress.
Additionally, only 25% to 50% Percentage of diabetics with depression are diagnosed and treated. This points to the need to provide active behavioral health support as part of the overall care plan.
“People with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk for diabetes distress, depression, anxiety, and mental health issues such as eating disorders. It can be addressed with an individualized treatment plan,” said Robert Gabbay, MD, ADA Chief Scientific and Medical Officer. “We are encouraged by the research findings presented at this year’s Scientific Sessions as we continue to seek innovative, evidence-based solutions to support people living with diabetes when they need it most.”
Results from the randomized controlled EMBARK clinical trial showed that three intervention programs significantly reduced diabetes distress in adults with type 1 diabetes.
The EMBARK trial involved 300 adults with type 1 diabetes and high distress. Individuals were randomly assigned to receive one of three intervention programs: (1) Streamline, an educator-led education and management program. (2) TunedIn, a psychologist-led program focused solely on alleviating the pain of diabetes; or (3) the integration of FixIt, the StreamLine program and the TunedIn program. Each intervention was delivered over 3 to 4 months in a group-based virtual format, including an initial workshop, one-on-one teleconferences, and follow-up meetings.
Results showed significant and clinically meaningful reductions in diabetes distress in all three study arms at follow-up assessments, with 35 percent of participants no longer reporting increased distress levels at follow-up and 74 percent of participants percent reported clinically significant diabetic distress. Pain relief.
The FixIt intervention, which integrated approaches targeting education and emotional diabetes distress, produced the greatest reduction in diabetes distress, followed by TunedIn and Streamline. Reductions in diabetes distress were significantly greater with the FixIt intervention compared with Streamline.
“Preliminary results from the EMBARK trial are promising for T1D patients suffering from the affliction of diabetes,” said Daniel Hessler-Jones, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UC Sun. Francisco and the lead investigator. “These findings highlight the importance of providing comprehensive support that addresses both the educational and emotional needs of individuals living with diabetes.”
The study authors plan to report 12-month follow-up results later this year to understand whether these improvements were maintained with glycemic outcomes. Additionally, there are plans to expand this research with Diabetes Distress-ASSIST. In this study, researchers will train clinical teams at 18 diabetes clinics on how to assess and address DD as part of their care delivery.
The research was presented today at the American Diabetes Association’s 83rd Scientific Sessions.® (ADA) San Diego, California.