Diabetes and Depression

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Illness Perceptions of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, with or without Depression.

• IRAS ID

  209592

• Contact name

  Athula Sumathipala

• Contact email

  a.sumathipala@keele.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Keele University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Evidence suggests that the Common Sense Model is applicable to a range of long term diseases and could provide a useful framework for developing future treatments. Patient illness cognitions are central to behaviour and therefore to their cognitions about DM, particularly when associated with depression, will likely impact on diagnosis, treatment and recommended lifestyle modifications (including diet, exercise and medication).
  This proposal relates to two important global health challenges: type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and depression. The proposed wok will lead to important insights into understanding patients’ thoughts, assumptions and beliefs about type 2 DM and depression and inform future treatment.
  Patients’ thoughts, assumptions and beliefs are collectively referred to as cognitions. In the Common Sense Model of illness patient’s cognitions are categorised as:

  • illness identity (the role of and attitude towards an illness)
  • cause
  • timeline
  • consequences and control/cure

  We propose that patients with DM will have DM-specific cognitions while patients with DM and depression may have additional depression-specific cognitions. The difference in cognitions may require different management approaches. We believe by changing a patient’s DM-specific cognitions their ability to self-manage their condition will improve; this includes making behavioural changes related to the treatment therefore targeting depression-specific cognitions (when present) may improve self-management.

  This study will explore patient cognitions and illness models of DM by interviewing a range of people with DM. These will be recruited from GP practices and other secondary care services. Interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed by the research team who have expertise in this area. A questionnaire designed to help us understand patient’s thoughts, assumptions and beliefs will also be used. We will work closely with the patient advisory group for this study to help support the research team deliver the study and advise on disseminating the results to clinical, academic and lay audiences.

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/NW/0739

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 Dec 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion