Aims: To identify key gaps in the research evidence base that could help to improve the mental well-being of people with diabetes, and to provide recommendations to researchers and research funders on how best to address them.
Methods: A 2-day international research workshop was conducted, bringing together research experts in diabetes and in mental health, people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals.
Results: The following key areas needing increased financial investment in research were identified: understanding the mechanisms underlying depression; understanding the multifactorial impact of social stigma; improving the language used by healthcare professionals; supporting people who find it difficult to engage with their diabetes; supporting significant others; supporting people with diabetes and eating disorders; improving models of care by learning from best practice; the potential benefits of screening and managing diabetes distress in routine diabetes care pathways; primary prevention of mental health issues at the time of diagnosis of diabetes; establishing the effectiveness of diabetes therapies on mood and other mental health issues; and understanding the impact of current diabetes technologies on mental health. Research recommendations as to how to address each of these priority areas were also developed.
Conclusions: This inaugural position statement outlines recommendations to address the urgent unmet need related to the mental well-being of people living with diabetes, and calls on the research community and funders to develop research programmes and strategies to reduce this need.
© 2019 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Diabetes UK.