An audit of psychological well-being in adults with type 1 diabetes attending tertiary diabetes clinics in Melbourne — ASN Events
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An audit of psychological well-being in adults with type 1 diabetes attending tertiary diabetes clinics in Melbourne (#273)

Christel Hendrieckx 1 2 , Joanne Bowden 3 , Jennifer Halliday 1 2 , Peter Colman 3 , Neale Cohen 4 , Alicia Jenkins 5 , Jane Speight 1 2 6
  1. Medtronic, Northridge, United States
  2. Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing Research, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  3. Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  4. Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  5. Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  6. AHP Research, Hornchurch, Essex, UK

Aim
International studies have found that between 20-40% of people with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) experience poor psychological well-being. Routine monitoring of well-being is recommended in international guidelines but is not clinical practice in Australia. The aim of this audit was to examine the feasibility of monitoring psychological well-being and to assess the prevalence of diabetes-related distress and impaired well-being among adults with T1DM attending one of three tertiary, metropolitan diabetes clinics.

Method
Over a 12–week period, all clinic attendees were invited to complete a set of questionnaires in the waiting room prior to their consultation with an endocrinologist.
The Problem Areas In Diabetes (PAID) questionnaire and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) were used to monitor diabetes-related distress and well-being respectively. Respondents were also asked to self-report diabetes treatment/complications, emotional problems, their personal agenda for the diabetes consultation and demographics. Completion time averaged 10-15 minutes.

Results
A total of 440 adults with T1DM participated (mean age 38±15yrs; range 18-80; 53% women).
The mean score (max score 100) for the PAID was 22.5±17.0 and for the WHO-5 was 57.5 ±21.2. No significant difference was observed between clinics. Seventeen percent reported severe diabetes related-distress (PAID score ≥40) and 33% impaired well-being (WHO-5 score ≤ 50). Thirty four percent expressed the desire to talk to someone in their diabetes team about their feelings of living with diabetes.

Conclusion
This audit demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring psychological well-being at outpatient consultations. The prevalence of diabetes-related distress and impaired well-being were consistent with international reports. Adults with T1DM attending tertiary hospital clinics clearly expressed the desire to talk to a diabetes team member specifically about their experiences of living with diabetes. The next step is to translate these results into routine practice and develop interventions to improve psychological well-being among people with diabetes.