A Review of the Mental Health Issues of Diabetes Conference

Individuals with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk for depression, anxiety disorder, and eating disorder diagnoses. People with type 1 diabetes are also at risk for subclinical levels of diabetes distress and anxiety. These mental/behavioral health comorbidities of diabetes are associated with poor adherence to treatment and poor glycemic control, thus increasing the risk for serious short- and long-term physical complications, which can result in blindness, amputations, stroke, cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, as well as premature death. When mental health comorbidities of diabetes are not diagnosed and treated, the financial cost to society and health care systems is catastrophic, and the human suffering that results is profound. This review summarizes state-of-the-art presentations and working group scholarly reports from the Mental Health Issues of Diabetes Conference (7-8 October 2013, Philadelphia, PA), which included stakeholders from the National Institutes of Health, people living with type 1 diabetes and their families, diabetes consumer advocacy groups, the insurance industry, as well as psychologists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, and nurse practitioners who are all nationally and internationally recognized experts in type 1 diabetes research and care. At this landmark conference current evidence for the incidence and the consequences of mental health problems in type 1 diabetes was presented, supporting the integration of mental health screening and mental health care into routine diabetes medical care. Future research directions were recommended to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of paradigms of diabetes care in which physical and mental health care are both priorities.