LIVINGLIVING
GENTLY DOES IT
Research from Diabetes UK has found that three in five people living
with diabetes experience emotional or mental health problems as a
result of the condition. So what can you do about it?
R
ecent research from
Diabetes UK has
found that three in
five people living with
diabetes experience
emotional or mental health problems
as a result of the condition. In one of
the largest surveys ever carried out by
Diabetes UK, 8,500 people of different
ages, ethnicities and backgrounds from
across the UK shared their experiences
of living with diabetes today, and what
their hopes and fears were for the future.
How diabetes affects emotional
wellbeing stood out as a major factor
for respondents, with three in five (64%)
saying that they often or sometimes feel
down because of their diabetes. One in
three (33%) said that diabetes got in the
way of them or a family member doing
things they wanted to do. Only three in
ten (30%) said they definitely felt in control
of their diabetes.
The research also found that 19%of
respondents had used support or
counselling from a trained professional
to help them manage their diabetes, and
nearly a third (32%) had at some point
relied on self-help materials including
books, videos and resources found
online.
The results of this research are
included in Diabetes UK's Future of
Diabetes report, which launched in
November to mark World Diabetes Day.
The charity is urging the Government to
radically improve health outcomes for
people with diabetes by committing to
sustain transformation funding at current