Ask anyone with diabetes - sticking to the daily routine of diet, medication, and monitoring of blood glucose levels is no walk in the park. And when you try and try but still don't meet the goals you and your doctor have set, it can be, well, a bummer.
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston report in a poster on Saturday that they interviewed and evaluated patients with type 2 diabetes to assess their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors that support or hinder their treatment.
Among patients who are not meeting treatment goals, three themes emerged:
- Perceived personal failure. Patients say they failed to follow doctors' orders, and that's why they didn't meet their goals.
- Self-blame. They blame themselves for "not doing what they should be doing'' to take care of themselves. If results were unexpected and poor, patients tended to turn anger and frustration inward
- Emotional vulnerability. Patients feel defeated and depressed because they're not meeting their treatment goals.
The researchers say it's important for doctors to recognize signs of this kind of emotional strain in their patients who are struggling. People with diabetes are at higher risk for depression compared to the general population, they note, so paying attention to the psychological needs of patients can pay off in better mental and physical health.
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