Recommendations: Psychosocial Assessment and Care

Psychological and social problems can impair the ability of the individual1-4 or the family to carry out diabetes care tasks and therefore compromise health status Opportunities exist for the clinician to assess psychosocial status in a timely and efficient manner so that referral for appropriate services can be accomplished Recommendations for psychosocial assessment and care5 are summarized on this slide Assessment of psychological and social situation should be included as an on-going part of the medical management of diabetes (E) Psychosocial screening and follow-up should include, but is not limited to, attitudes about the illness, expectations for medical management and outcomes, affect/mood, general and diabetes-related quality of life, resources (financial, social, and emotional), and psychiatric history (E) Screen for psychosocial problems such as depression and diabetes-related distress, anxiety, eating disorders, and cognitive impairment when self-management is poor (C)58References Anderson RJ, Grigsby AB, Freedland KE, et al. Anxiety and poor glycemic control: a meta-analytic review of the literature. Int J Psychiatry Med 2002;32:235-247. Delahanty LM, Grant RW, Wittenberg E, et al. Association of diabetes-related emotional distress with diabetes treatment in primary care patients with Type 2 diabetes. Diabet Med 2007;24:48-54. American Diabetes Association: Psychosocial factors affecting adherence, quality of life, and well-being: Helping Patients cope. In Medical Management of Type 1 Diabetes. 5 ed. Francine R. Kaufman, Ed. Alexandria, VA, American Diabetes Association, 2008, p. 173-193. Anderson RJ, Freedland KE, Clouse RE, Lustman PJ. The prevalence of comorbid depression in adults with diabetes: a metaanalysis. Diabetes Care 2001;24:1069-1078. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2013. Diabetes Care 2013;36(suppl 1):S25-S26.