Endocrine Abstracts

Screening of patients with diabetes for psychological distress should be undertaken regularly by the diabetes nurse specialist. Patients requiring intensive treatment of their diabetes experience emotional and mental health issues at a rate higher than the general population and recent clinical research shows value in cognitive and behavioral therapy. We undertook a survey of a mixed population in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to assess diabetes distress scores among our patients receiving insulin therapy. We utilized the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS 2017) to assess and report perceived diabetes distress among this patient population. Patients experiencing DD scores greater than 2 were referred to appropriate services locally. The items scoring highest included ‘Feeling overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes,’ ‘Feeling that friends or family don’t appreciate how difficult living with diabetes can be,’ ‘Not feeling confident in my day-to-day ability to manage diabetes,’ ‘Feeling that diabetes controls my life,’ and ‘Feeling that diabetes is taking up too much of my mental and physical energy every day.’ We identified the highest degrees of DD in the subcategories of emotional burden and regimen distress and are pleased to report that within our practice patients experience a minimal degree of provider-related distress. Interestingly, in the UAE many patients report not feeling confident in their ability to manage the day-to-day elements of their condition which is underscored by the low level of health literacy and diabetes self-management skills we see in our practice. These items underscore the emotional and interpersonal strain elements of living with diabetes and give us the opportunity to refer to support groups, behavioral therapists and psychiatrists where appropriate. We have made a concerted effort to offer high-quality diabetes education provided one-on-one by the diabetes nurse specialist and have seen great results in patient empowerment.