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Mental health service users' experiences of diabetes care by M ental H ealth N urses: an exploratory study
Author(s) -
Nash M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1365-2850
pISSN - 1351-0126
DOI - 10.1111/jpm.12140
Subject(s) - mental health , medicine , feeling , diabetes mellitus , exploratory research , stigma (botany) , mental illness , social stigma , nursing , psychology , gerontology , psychiatry , family medicine , social psychology , sociology , anthropology , endocrinology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)
Accessible summary Little is known about mental health service users’ experiences of physical conditions such as diabetes. Stigma and diagnostic overshadowing occurred when seeking help with physical problems. A split in mental and physical health left two distinct illness identities – the mental health service user who is largely ignored in primary care and the diabetic who is largely ignored in mental health. Most participants mentioned experiencing physical complications of diabetes.Abstract This paper is a report of a study exploring mental health service users' ( MHSU s') experiences of diabetes care. Diabetes is a growing clinical concern in mental health nursing practice. However, little is known about MHSU s' experience of diabetes care. This is a descriptive qualitative study. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were held between J une and O ctober 2011, with seven MHSU s who had diabetes. Participants reported experiences of stigma and diagnostic overshadowing ( DO ) when reporting symptoms of diabetes or when feeling unwell. Participants also encountered a split between their mental health and diabetes care needs, which resulted in a lack of holistic or integrated care. All participants mentioned experiencing complications of diabetes even to the extent of diabetic ketoacidosis. Mental health nurses ( MHN s) must critically reflect on their attitudes towards service users that report physical symptoms to ensure that stigma and DO do not constitute barriers to appropriate screening and treatment. The complex relationship that exists between mental illness and diabetes requires MHN s to ensure physical and mental health care are wholly integrated and not split. Education needs are apparent so that symptoms and complications can be recognized and treated accordingly.