Improving mental and emotional
health outcomes
Almost 700,000 Australians living with diabetes have experienced a mental or emotional health challenge in the past 12 months.
It is often considered a silent diabetes complication. We don’t talk about it. It is the most common, yet least known, diabetes complication.
Diabetes is a relentless condition. The daily grind of dealing with diabetes can take its toll on mental wellbeing. Diabetes distress and burnout are very real. And they can make it much harder to manage diabetes.
On top this, diabetes-stigma is also very real and widespread. Around 80 per cent of people with diabetes say they’ve been blamed or shamed for having the condition. Some common examples include people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes being blamed for causing their diabetes or its complications, being judged when eating certain foods, and being shamed for using insulin or checking their glucose levels in public.
When people with diabetes feel judged or shamed, they may also struggle to manage their diabetes. When people disengage from their diabetes healthcare, the risk of serious diabetes-related complications increases.
While a lot of Australians living with diabetes are experiencing mental health challenges, many aren’t getting support. The latest figures show that about 400,000 people living with diabetes are not accessing mental health care.
We all have a role to play in improving mental and emotional health outcomes for people with diabetes.
Managing diabetes is not easy. The condition is serious. And nobody chooses the condition.
If we show more compassion, more understanding and provide more support, we can make life easier for people with diabetes.
How can we do this?
- Better awareness of diabetes mental health issues and helping people with diabetes feel more confident to seek support
- Putting mental health support at the centre of regular diabetes healthcare, recognising that mental health impact physical health
- Calling out diabetes-related stigma and discrimination wherever it happens
Better awareness of diabetes mental health issues
Many people, including some people with diabetes, are unaware of the mental and emotional health impacts of living with diabetes. We need greater recognition of this silent complication of diabetes.
There are tools and support available to help manage diabetes-related mental health challenges, such as diabetes distress and burnout. If people are feeling overwhelmed, we need to support them to reach out and ask for help.
Embedding mental and emotional healthcare into regular diabetes healthcare
Diabetes is relentless and the constant pressure can contribute to diabetes distress and burnout, depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.
Mental health support must be a part of routine diabetes care. Mental healthcare professionals, with expertise in diabetes, must be a part of diabetes multidisciplinary care. Care should also be easily accessible over the phone, online and in person, depending on an individual’s needs.
All of this requires a skilled workforce. Diabetes qualifications should include requirements for appropriate levels of knowledge about diabetes-specific mental health and professional development opportunities.
Speaking up and calling out diabetes-related stigma and discrimination wherever it happens
Ending diabetes stigma is up to us all. We need to understand that no one wants to get diabetes, no matter what type of diabetes they have. No one should be blamed or shamed about their diabetes. Living with diabetes is very demanding, and people are usually doing the best they can to manage their diabetes. If they need to check their glucose levels or take their medicines at work or in public – let’s support them
Some people may be unaware that their comments or behaviour about diabetes may cause harm. A conversation about the importance of positive comments can help reduce diabetes blame and shame.