Disease-related distress among insulin-treated diabetic patients - Associations with health status, psychosocial factors and self-care practices

Background: Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects many domains of life . This cross sectional study examined disease-related distress and its asso ciations with health and psychosocial factors among insulin treated diabeti c persons. Method: The sample (n=423) was drawn from the Social Insurance I nstitution's drug registry. Health indicators were duration of diabetes, co mplications, and glycaemic control. Psychosocial measures included general and diabetes-specific social support, diabetes locus of control (DLC), self -efficacy, diabetes health beliefs and self-care practices and subjective h ealth. Results: Most respondents reported moderate diabetes-related distres s. In multivariate analysis, severe diabetes distress was related to lower net benefits of regimen (beta = -0.29, and p<0.001), poorer perceived healt h (beta = -0.25, and p<0.001), higher perceived threat of complications (be ta = 0.19, and p<0.001), less adequate social support (beta = -0.16, and p< 0.01), stronger beliefs in chance (beta = 0.15, and p<0.01) and internal DL C (beta = 0.11, and p<0.05) and more frequent exercising (beta = 0.10, and p<0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that emotional adjustment to diab etes is predominantly determined by diabetes related cognitions and subject ive health and to a lesser degree by objective diabetes indicators, which u nderlines the importance of assisting the patient with adjustment with the disease in health care centres.