An Analysis of Diabetes Distress among Type 1 Diabetics

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder of multiple aetiology characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both (WHO, 1999). Type 1 DM is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic conditions among children. With 70,000 newly diagnosed young people every year, the prevalence of type 1 DM is growing globally (IDF, 2011). Distress is a term which describes a range of symptoms and experiences of an inner life of a person which leads to troubles, confusions and abnormalities. Diabetes Distress (DD) refers to the unique, often hidden emotional burdens and worries that are part of the spectrum of patient experience when managing a severe, demanding chronic disease like diabetes. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between DD and type 1 diabetics in relation to gender and presence of clinical comorbidity. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample of 40 type 1 diabetics equally divided gender wise and as per the presence of clinical comorbidity. The sample was selected from various hospitals of Ahmedabad city aged between 18-30 years. Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) was administered to the patients. The results were statistically analysed using student's't' test. The findings revealed that DD was found to be more in male type 1 diabetics than female type 1 diabetics. Diabetics with clinical comorbidities had higher DD than diabetics with no clinical comorbidities.