<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Aim. Youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes are at a great risk for developing depression and diabetes specific distress, therefore, systematic psychological screening is recommended. Routine psychological screening was implemented in Slovene diabetes clinic for children, adolescents and young adults in 2012. One-year results are presented. Methods. Adolescents and young adults (N = 159, aged 11 - 25 years), attending the obligatory yearly educational outpatient visit at University Children’s Hospital, Ljubljana, Slovenia, were examined using questionnaires measuring depression (depression scale from Slovene version of Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children) and diabetes distress (Diabetes Distress Screening Scale). Six additional items were included to assess the fear of hypoglycemia and family support. Socio-demographic and diabetes-related data were collected. Questionnaires were analyzed by a psychologist, and the patients that scored above cut-off point were invited to an individual psychological assessment. Results. Of the sample, 1.3 % reached the threshold for elevated depressive symptoms, and 32.7 % reported significant diabetes distress. The need for psychological support from a specialist was expressed by 5.0 %. There were statistically significant associations between all psychological variables; moreover, better glycemic control was associated with lower diabetes distress and better family support. Nine patients (5.7 %) started with psychological treatment according to the referrals after screening. Conclusions. The results after one year of psychological screening in Slovene type 1 diabetes population displayed small rates of depression and a large proportion of diabetes distress. Only a small percentage of patients attended the offered individual psychological assessment.</abstract>

Aim. Youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes are at a great risk for developing depression and diabetes specific distress, therefore, systematic psychological screening is recommended. Routine psychological screening was implemented in Slovene diabetes clinic for children, adolescents and young adults in 2012. One-year results are presented. Methods. Adolescents and young adults (N = 159, aged 11 - 25 years), attending the obligatory yearly educational outpatient visit at University Children’s Hospital, Ljubljana, Slovenia, were examined using questionnaires measuring depression (depression scale from Slovene version of Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children) and diabetes distress (Diabetes Distress Screening Scale). Six additional items were included to assess the fear of hypoglycemia and family support. Socio-demographic and diabetes-related data were collected. Questionnaires were analyzed by a psychologist, and the patients that scored above cut-off point were invited to an individual psychological assessment. Results. Of the sample, 1.3 % reached the threshold for elevated depressive symptoms, and 32.7 % reported significant diabetes distress. The need for psychological support from a specialist was expressed by 5.0 %. There were statistically significant associations between all psychological variables; moreover, better glycemic control was associated with lower diabetes distress and better family support. Nine patients (5.7 %) started with psychological treatment according to the referrals after screening. Conclusions. The results after one year of psychological screening in Slovene type 1 diabetes population displayed small rates of depression and a large proportion of diabetes distress. Only a small percentage of patients attended the offered individual psychological assessment.

Annual Psychological Screening in Youth and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes / Letno Presejalno Psihološko Testiranje Pri Mladostnikih in Mladih Odraslih S Sladkorno Boleznijo Tipa 1

University Medical Centre Ljubljana, University Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Bohoriceva 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Diabetes Psychology Research Group, Department of Medical Psychology, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Aim. Youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes are at a great risk for developing depression and diabetes specific distress, therefore, systematic...

Annual Psychological Screening in Youth and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes / Letno Presejalno Psihološko Testiranje Pri Mladostnikih in Mladih Odraslih S Sladkorno Boleznijo Tipa 1

Published Online: Mar 13, 2015

Page range: 103 - 111

Received: Oct 31, 2014

Accepted: Jan 14, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjph-2015-0016

© National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.