Why do some people with diabetes experience emotional distress?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Anxiety and depression in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: The contribution of meta-cognitive beliefs and illness perceptions
IRAS ID
262011
Contact name
Adam Noble
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
People with diabetes are estimated to be 2-3 times more likely to suffer from emotional distress than the general population. Distress can negatively interact with one's physical health and so it is important that effective treatments are identified. Current psychological treatments have achieved modest short-term effects, suggesting novel interventions are needed. Before more suitable therapies can be developed, it is important to better understand what psychological processes (such as thinking and coping styles) contribute to the development and persistence of distress in people with diabetes.This study will, therefore, investigate distress in English speaking, adult patients, diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, who either attend follow-up clinics at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital or respond to advertisements placed on online platforms. Participation in the study will last 12 months, with participants being asked to complete a questionnaire pack relating to their illness perceptions, metacognitive beliefs and emotional distress on four separate occasions (baseline then 3, 6, and 12 months later).
Summary of Results
The results show that the development and maintenance of anxiety and/or depression in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can be explained by the metacognitive model (McM).The McM suggests that the development of anxiety/depression occurs when certain metacognitive beliefs (beliefs about our own thinking, e.g., "my worrying is uncontrollable") are triggered by negative thoughts (e.g., "Nothing will improve my diabetes"). When these metacognitive beliefs are held, we are more likely to respond to negative thoughts with worry and rumination, which maintains levels of anxiety/depression.
Despite the different causes, treatment approaches and lived experiences of those with type 1 vs type 2 diabetes, the results from this study were the same for both. This suggests the same underlying psychological processes are involved in the development and maintenance of anxiety/depression in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and that the McMs associated therapy (Metacognitive Therapy) should be explored as a potential treatment.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NE/0283
Date of REC Opinion
10 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion