Diabetes Mental Health

Diabetic patients will be invited to participate in the voluntary study based on the results of the PHQ-9 depression section of the patient stress questionnaire, a standard measurement tool utilized at the clinic. Patients that agree to participate in the study will be administered the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS), also a standard measurement tool utilized at the clinic. The co-investigator and external researcher will be responsible for consenting participants. The co-investigator and external researcher coordinate consent at the Matthews Free Medical Clinic or a designated off-site location. Individuals whose primary language is Spanish will be provided a translated written consent for participants who are Non-English speaking.

Misinformation and misperception about mental illness can lead to the stigmatization of ourselves, our parents, our children, our spouses and others that we care about. The consequences of stigma range from social isolation to poverty to barriers to quality treatment and care. Stigma perpetrated on a grand scale can result in a system that reinforces the idea that people diagnosed with mental illnesses are unimportant and therefore are unworthy of access to quality and affordable care. Some media outlets (films and television) serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes and reinforce stigma. Although relatively few people with mental illness act out in

As Americans it becomes natural to undermine those with a mental illness. As a fact, many adults and children deal with mental illness each and everyday. There are many stories that have been told to Americans about depression, anxiety, along with bipolar disorders, with the outcome usually being a negative consequence. For the 1 in every 5 citizens that deal with a mental illness each year. Americans have neglected the fact that many adults and children deal with mental issue(s), the citizens that refrain from getting help; their well being can suffer detrimental effects, there is not a lot of awareness either taught in school, or in public perspectives, American’s stigma has perfected their

Over forty million Americans suffer from a mental health condition; and, unfortunately, fifty six percent do not receive any treatment at all. “Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion and behavior”(Psychiatry.org). People live with their conditions even though their quality of life and personal relationships may be negatively affected. When one lives in a state of denial about having a mental illness, they are cheating themselves out of living life to their fullest potential and will achieve true freedom only when they face the illness head on and seek recovery.

Diabetes is a disease that causes the human body to not create or not use insulin effectively. The body needs insulin to take the energy or sugars and turn it into energy. The human body needs energy to survive. Diabetes can be broken into three main categories. Type 1 diabetes is where the body makes no insulin at all. Type 2 diabetes is where the body does not produce enough insulin or it does not use it correctly. Gestational diabetes is more of a type 2 diabetes for pregnant women, which usually returns to normal after birth (Ruder 7-8).

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

Diabetes is a chronic systemic disease characterized by hyperglycemia, or elevated level of blood glucose. This condition results from a defect in insulin action or secretion. Insulin deficiency leads not only to disturbances in the metabolism of carbohydrates, but also proteins and fats. Chronic elevation of blood glucose causes damage to various organs, particularly eyes, kidneys, nervous system, heart and blood vessels (Huether & McCance, 2012). However, diabetes also causes psychological and emotional distress which can lead to mental disorders. Recognition of psychological and emotional factors related to diabetes is crucial in adjusting and implementing appropriate therapies (Pearce ,2013). The article “The psychological impact of diabetes: A practical guide for the nurse practitioner,” presents how diabetes impacts the psychological aspect of quality of life, and provides solutions that can be applied in patients’ care.

Emotional well-being is part of diabetes management. Psychosocial therapies are of proven benefit in the management of diabetes (1).

In the United States the Mental Health Care field is one of the most underserved areas of healthcare. The mental healthcare field faces many challenges to the proper treatment of patients from both a societal and professional standpoint. From a societal perspective a negative stereotype is associated with patients seeking psychiatric care. Patients seeking care are often labeled as defective or damaged. Add in the complication that most patients with mental illness appear to be normal, accepting that someone is ill without outward symptoms can also be difficult for a society to understand. From a professional perspective the challenges within the mental health care industry include personal prejudice, staffing issues, and problems with coordinating care. The combination of these factors has a direct negative impact on the willingness of individuals suffering from mental illness in seeking the care needed to treat the symptoms of mental illness.

It has been reported that the number of people with mental disorder is increasing in our communities at an alarming rate. Environmental and social changes are among the most mentioned causes of the accelerating rate of mental illness in society (Häfner, 1985). Despite the prevalence, about one fifth of the adult population will battle with mental illness every year ("Facts and figures about mental illness," 2014) and the acknowledgement of authorities mental illness is still given less attention then is needed to treat the problem successfully. Health bodies need to be putting more resources into this area as

As someone who is diabetic and has experienced depression, I want to know if there is a correlation between the two. Diabetes does not cause depression; although, I do believe there is a correlation between them. Diabetes can be a very tiring diseases. It can wear you out every day. Diabetes is something you can not walk away from -- it is there every day of your life. Same goes for depression. No matter what you do, it is always around. I believe that these two things go hand in hand. Being diabetes does not cause depression, but it adds to the stressful events in life and can make depression work.

The negative stigma of mental health has lightened slightly over the years, however, it has not rescinded entirely. People still have an unmanageable time admitting that they may have a mental disorder and that they require assistance. Human beings struggle with these hindrances openly and also hidden on a daily basis. Therefore, our civilization needs to remove the shame associated with the treatment of mental disorders and work on devising a progressive suitable mental healthcare plan in order to ensure that many live a healthy, happy, and prosperous

During a mental health event the First Lady, Michelle Obama said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. [...] Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” This shows that mental illness stigma in society is based on mental illness being perceived more negatively than other physical illness when it should actually be seen as the same. Stigma around mental illness has had very immense adverse effects on the willingness of undiagnosed suffers to not seek treatment when they need it. As a result of this one in five people with a mental illness will not get the treatment they need which has the effect of high suicide rates among the untreated sufferers. In an effort to reduce stigma around mental illness, so that more undiagnosed sufferers seek treatment, schools should devote more time to increasing awareness of mental illness and its effects.

Diabetes is associated with wide range of complications such as chronic renal failure, blindness, amputations, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and neuropathy (Alotabi, A., et al., 2016). There is no known cure for diabetes, but the disease can be controlled through health management that includes multiple perspectives of care such as medications, blood glucose monitoring, diet, nutrition, screening for long-term complications and regular physical activity (Alotabi, A., et al., 2016). Managing diabetes may be complicated and requires the knowledge and skills of both healthcare providers and the clients. Studies have shown that to prevent or delay diabetic complications due to diabetes, counseling and other lifestyle interventions are the effective therapy. Even with many policies set up for diabetes, 8.1 million Americans are undiagnosed with diabetes mellitus, and approximately 86 million Americans ages 20 and older have blood glucose levels that considerably increase their risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus in the next several years (CDC, 2015). For diabetes care to be successful there needs to be a good understanding of the disease and management by both patients and healthcare providers,

Diabetes mellitus is the main cause of non traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States. Diabetic infections also a major source of morbidity of the individual. Approximately 15% of people in the DM develop a foot ulcer, and the significant subset of those individuals may sometimes be handicapped. (Harrison, 2003)Diabetes and its potential complications are enormous and lead to morbidity and mortality, and there are significant health burdens on families and community. Stress and Diabetes are problems shown in a spectrum associated with relatively young age. In India, civilians move from rural to urban areas, economic growth and changes in living standards can affect