'Diabetes distress' increases risk of mental health problems in young people living with type 1 diabetes

The findings highlight the urgent need for mental health monitoring and support for young people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

According to the charity JDRF8.7 million people worldwide live with type 1 diabetes, including more than 400,000 people in the UK. This is a life-threatening chronic disease that is usually diagnosed in childhood and has lifelong effects.

Currently, type 1 diabetics rely on routine treatments of finger prick blood tests and insulin injections or IV drips because the pancreas itself no longer produces insulin, but recent developments in artificial pancreas technology We are contributing to this revolution in treatment.

Previous research has shown a potential link between childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and many mental health disorders in adulthood. However, it remains to be seen whether these associations are best explained by the effects of living with this condition and its treatment, or whether there are common underlying biological mechanisms, such as the development of unstable blood sugar levels. It is not clear whether effects on the mid-adolescent brain may be involved.

To help answer this question, a team of researchers looked at data from more than 4,500 children with type 1 diabetes registered in the Czech Republic's national registry, as well as data from a large European DNA study. I paid attention to. The result is today. natural mental health.

From national registry data, researchers found that children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were more than twice as likely to develop a mood disorder and 50% more likely to develop an anxiety disorder compared to children without type 1 diabetes. I found that it was higher than that. They were also more than four times more likely to develop behavioral syndromes such as eating and sleeping disorders.

Conversely, children with type 1 diabetes had a much lower risk of developing psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, with almost half the risk compared to other children.

The findings are consistent with those of two other national register studies conducted in Sweden and Denmark, suggesting that the results are likely to apply to other countries, including the UK.

The research team used a statistical method known as Mendelian randomization to investigate the causal relationship between type 1 diabetes and these various psychiatric disorders, but there is no evidence supporting a common underlying biological mechanism. I couldn't find much.

Tomas Formanek, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge and the National Institute of Mental Health in Klecany, Czech Republic, said: – and other earlier researchers have suggested that this is unlikely to be the result of a common biological mechanism. This highlights the importance of prevention and continued attention to the mental health needs of children and young people with type 1 diabetes. ”

Researchers found that mental health problems later in life are more likely to occur in children with type 1 diabetes, who are forced to make major changes in their lives, constantly focusing on monitoring their food intake, checking their blood sugar levels and administering insulin. It is said that this may be the result of injection. As a result, children often feel excluded from social events and treated differently by peers, teachers, and even family members.

Dr Benjamin Perry, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: “We know that people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can experience 'diabetic distress,' which includes extreme frustration with blood sugar levels and feelings of isolation, burnout, and feelings of hopelessness. , which can lead to feelings of loss of control. So it's no wonder they're at risk for worsening mental health problems as adults.”

Professor Peter Jones, also from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, added: “Our findings highlight the urgent need to support children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, be aware of signs of mental health problems and provide timely professional support. ” Then we may be able to help children early on, before the problem fully takes hold. ”

This research was supported by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's National Health and Care Research Institute Applied Research Collaboration in the East of England and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, with additional funding from Wellcome and the UKRI Medical Research Council.

reference
Formanek, T et al. Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and subsequent adult psychiatric disorders: A national cohort and genome-wide Mendelian randomized study. Natural mental health. July 17, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00280-8