Case-control study investigating the psychology of recurrent DKA

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A case-control study investigating the psychological and psychiatric morbidity of patients with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis

• IRAS ID

  159259

• Contact name

  CJ Garrett

• Contact email

  christopher.garrett@kcl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  King's College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  For a small, but high risk sub-population of type 1 diabetes patients, diabetes self-management is extremely difficult and characterised by recurrent admissions with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is an acute, potentially life-threatening presentation with hyperglycaemia, ketosis and acidosis. Most of these admissions are caused by patients omitting their insulin, but the behaviour of non-adherence leading to hospital admission is not understood. This study aims to assess recurrent DKA patients for a psychiatric diagnosis and for different aspects of their psychological functioning and make comparison with 2 control groups of patients who don't have recurrent DKA.
  Using an electronic record of hospital admissions, patients who have had 2 or more DKA episodes in the last 12 months will be approached and asked to attend an outpatient assessment. Initial contact will be made by post asking for their participation in the project, followed up by a telephone call from the chief investigator. Psychological assessment will be carried out on a tablet computer, lasts for approximately an hour and a half and consists of a battery of 10 self-rated, validated scales covering aspects of mood, anxiety, eating, relationships and emotion regulation and a brief IQ assessment and social cognitive assessment. Similarly, potential controls will be found from electronic patient records and matched using criteria of gender and age and ethnicity. Control group 2 will also be matched for glycaemic control (HbA1c 1.5%+/-). A statistical analysis of the psychological assessments will be conducted and rates of psychiatric diagnoses will be presented. There are no appreciable risks associated with assessment and assessment could be of benefit to those patients with rDKA in that, if they are agreeable, a formulation of their psychological or psychiatric difficulty could be shared with their treating team.

• REC name

  North East - York Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/NE/0223

• Date of REC Opinion

  1 Jul 2016

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion