Assessment of Emotional Struggles in Type 2 Diabetes: Patient Perspectives

Diabetic patients experience disproportionately high rates of depression, distress, and other psychosocial difficulties (1) that interfere with glycemia and self-care (2). Physicians recognize the frequency and seriousness of patients’ emotional struggles (3,4); however, many report that intervening is challenging because of limited treatment options, time constraints, and perceived lack of psychological expertise (4). Diabetes physicians may not feel comfortable or qualified to assess patients’ emotional difficulties because they have not received formal training in screening for these difficulties and do not have the resources/referral patterns necessary to provide patients with psychological support (4). Inquiring about patients’ preferences for addressing emotional struggles may help guide physicians in providing better support and treatment. As part of a larger qualitative study (4), we conducted in-depth interviews to explore patients’ perspectives about how their diabetes physicians approach emotional struggles during a medical visit.We recruited participants aged 30–70 years who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes …