Article
Diabetes-related burden and distress in people with diabetes mellitus at primary care level in Germany
Search Medline for
Authors
-
Nadine Kuniss
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
-
Thomas Rechtacek
- General Practice, Saalfeld, Thuringia, Germany
-
Christof Kloos
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
-
Ulrich A. Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
-
Johannes Roth
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
-
Katharina Burghardt
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
-
Guido Kramer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| Published: | February 23, 2017 |
|---|
Outline
Text
Objective: The importance of diabetes-related distress for the treatment of diabetes is emphasized in national and international guidelines recommending routinely screening for psychosocial problems. Data of investigations regarding diabetes-related distress on primary care are rare in Germany though most people with diabetes are treated without insulin therapy at primary care level.
Research Design and Methods: 345 people with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2, n=336, 229 without and 107 with insulin therapy) and type 1 (DM1, n=9) were interviewed with the PAID questionnaire in the period from 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2015 in a general practice. A PAID score ≥40 (range 0-100) was considered as high diabetes-related distress.
Results: The mean PAID score of all participants was 3.9±7.0 (DM2 without insulin 2.7±6.3, DM2 with insulin therapy 6.0±8.0, DM1 6.8±4.9) and far below the threshold of 40 points. Only 1.2% of all responders showed high diabetes-related distress (score ≥40). People on insulin therapy, with HbA1c >7.5% and with diagnosed depression prior to the study scored significantly higher. Furthermore, there are weak correlations between the PAID score and HbA1c (r=0.253, p<0.001), duration of diabetes (r=0.169, p=0.002), insulin dosage (r=0.283, p<0.001) and age (r=-0.129, p=0.016).
Conclusions: Only 1.2% of our outpatients with diabetes on primary care level showed high diabetes-related distress. Higher rates in the current literature are probably due to not investigating on primary care level. Guidelines should consider this and be modified accordingly.
