Bridging the gap between diabetes care and mental health: perspectives of the Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP)

Lucienne Ferrier,Chantal F Ski,David J Castle,Gaye Moore,Zoe Jenkins,Casey O’Brien,Glenn Ward,David R Thompson

doi:10.1186/s12902-021-00760-3

Abstract

BackgroundMental health problems are highly prevalent in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), which adversely impact physical health and quality of life. This study aimed to explore the experiences of people with T1DM who had completed the Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP), a novel intervention developed to bridge the gap between physical and mental health care.Method Participants with T1DM were invited to take part in a focus group or semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited from outpatient and community settings. The focus group and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic content analysis was used and identified themes were cross-validated by researchers and member-checked by participants.ResultsTen people with T1DM were included. Two key themes emerged: ‘MINDS OHP experiences’ and ‘lived experiences of diabetes’. MINDS OHP experiences included five sub-themes: program benefits, follow-up and timing, suggested improvements, collaborative partners, and materials suitability. Lived experiences also included five sub-themes: bridging the gap between mental and physical health, support networks, stigma and shame, management intrusiveness, and adolescence and critical life points.ConclusionsThe MINDS OHP for people with T1DM was generally well received, though study findings suggest a number of improvements could be made to the program, such as including family members, and consideration being given to its routine early inclusion in diabetes management, ideally in primary care.

Highlights

The MINDS Mental Health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (OHP) for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) was generally well received, though study findings suggest a number of improvements could be made to the program, such as including family members, and consideration being given to its routine early inclusion in diabetes management, ideally in primary care
In an attempt to address diabetes-specific aspects of care we developed the Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP), a psychoeducational self-empowerment intervention [13]
These findings highlight a gap in routine T1DM care, and provide valuable insights into how the MINDS OHP could be improved to best fill the gap

Summary

Introduction

Mental health problems are highly prevalent in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), which adversely impact physical health and quality of life. This study aimed to explore the experiences of people with T1DM who had completed the Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP), a novel intervention developed to bridge the gap between physical and mental health care. Individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at increased risk of poor mental health, depression and anxiety [1,2,3]. The experience of T1DM may negatively affect mental health, while mental health reciprocally influences metabolic control, and suboptimal glycaemic control may result in adverse long-term health consequences and reduced quality of life [3, 5,6,7]. Diabetes-related stress experienced by families often becomes accentuated during the adolescent period, with particular concerns about long-term health consequences [2, 5, 12]

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