Emotional And Psychological Report Sets Out Vision For Diabetes Services, UK

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 18 Jul 2010 - 1:00 PDT

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A report by Diabetes UK and NHS Diabetes encourages all involved in diabetes care to implement the changes needed to provide appropriate emotional and psychological support and care as an integrated part of diabetes services.

The 'Emotional and Psychological Support and Care in Diabetes' report sets out the findings of a working group established to examine the current challenges and seek solutions to them. It provides guidance and makes recommendations in a number of areas, including commissioning, organisation of care, provision of services and workforce.

The impact of diabetes on emotional and psychological wellbeing can be profound, and there is increased prevalence of conditions such as depression and anxiety among people with diabetes. This can affect the ability of an individual to self manage their condition and can also have a negative impact on blood glucose control. In turn this increases the risk of developing the devastating and costly complications

Recommendations in the report include:

- Commissioning

The provision of psychological services for people with diabetes needs to be addressed in line with the clinical provision of services for diabetes for all age ranges. The emotional wellbeing of people with diabetes and improved access to psychological and psychiatric assessment and interventions needs to be prioritised within all current and future diabetes service improvements and developments.

- Work force

Expert psychological care for people with diabetes needs to be provided by professionals with specific knowledge and experience in the area of diabetes.

- Service delivery

The provision of any psychological service for people with diabetes should be determined by a balanced approach to the requirements placed upon the service to deliver direct clinical care, clinical supervision, education and training of the diabetes Multidisciplinary team and other providers of diabetes care.

- Cultural shift

Emotional and psychological care must be seen as part of the remit of the whole multidisciplinary team and they should be supported to help identify and provide care for the emotional and psychological needs of people with diabetes to an appropriate level.

- Next steps for emotional and psychological care in diabetes

Use the evidence and guidance to influence the provision of resources available at the local and national level to ensure delivery of appropriate services.

- Research

Research is needed into the extent of need in primary care populations.

Anna Morton, Director of NHS Diabetes, said: "The effects of diabetes on the individual are complex. Diabetes is a long term condition which requires careful self-management to minimise the risks of physical illness and complications. Different interventions are required depending on the type of diabetes and complexity of need.

"On a day-to-day basis, diabetes interferes with the routines of daily life and constrains the choices that individuals are able to make. Not surprisingly, the impact of diabetes on emotional and psychological wellbeing can be profound."

Stella Valerkou, Senior Policy Officer of Diabetes UK said: "The report demonstrates the powerful reasons to provide emotional and psychological support and care for people with diabetes, which should be a fundamental component of diabetes services. While there are examples of good practice, too often this aspect of diabetes service provision can be lacking. We hope the guidance and recommendations in this report will further support the development of comprehensive diabetes services that provide high quality, integrated, emotional and psychological care tailored to the specific needs of people with diabetes locally."

Case Study

Neil Collins, aged 68, said he would have benefited enormously from emotional and psychological support when he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1986.

He said: "When I found out about my diabetes there was no structured education at all, looking back if I would have had the right support I might not have had the side-effects that I have now.

"The realisation in the early stages that 'diabetes is with you for life' is hard to deal with. I thought to myself that this thing could finish me off and you would think that for many people that would be the drive to have perfect control of your diabetes, but it's not always as simple as that.

"Later on I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and I tried to cope with it by comfort eating which obviously was disastrous for my diabetes. I'm a very good example of somebody who could, and still would, have really benefited from emotional and psychological support, although I would like to add that I receive first-rate medical care."

To download the report, visit here.

Source:
Diabetes UK

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