Living with a complex, chronic health condition like type 1 diabetes (T1D) is complicated, expensive, and burdensome. Most people live long, happy, healthy, and satisfying lives with T1D, yet there is a large body of evidence that mental health concerns and behavioral challenges are common, and interfere with self-management, quality of life, and health. At the same time, there are not enough professionals who have knowledge of the complex interplays between diabetes and psychosocial factors to meet the needs of the large and growing population of people with T1D, and their families.
To help address this gap, the Type 1 Diabetes Mental Health Workbook was created to provide a concise, practical resource for mental health clinicians and therapists to use in their care of young people with T1D. The workbook is divided into eight sections:
Overview of T1D
Language and communication about T1D
Challenges associated with a new T1D diagnosis
Approaches to addressing T1D self-management challenges
Emotions associated with T1D
Mood concerns and T1D
T1D-related worries and anxiety
Additional considerations
Chapter 1: Overview of T1D Available to Purchase
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Published:2023
"Overview of T1D", Type 1 Diabetes Mental Health Workbook: A Practical Resource for Providing Behavioral and Mental Health Support to Young People with Type 1 Diabetes, and Their Families
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Type 1 diabetes (T1D) requires constant monitoring and management of blood glucose. Specific tasks conducted multiple times a day by individuals with T1D (or parents of youth with T1D) include checking blood glucose via fingerstick or continuous glucose monitor, calculating and administering insulin doses via injections or insulin pumps, possibly taking additional medications to regulate blood glucose, paying attention to dietary intake, carbohydrate counting and administering the appropriate amount of insulin needed with every meal and snack, and making decisions about engaging in physical activities.
Incomplete cognitive development prevents young people with T1D from always recognizing healthful choices or behaving in a way that promotes health and minimizes short- and long-term complications. Indeed, as children transition into adolescence, engagement in T1D self-management tasks often decreases and A1C increases. This pattern occurs despite significant advancements in diabetes technology, in part due to generally low uptake and use and inequities for people with low socioeconomic status and from racially and ethnically marginalized groups, particularly with the continuous glucose monitor. Given the many behavioral and psychosocial factors (e.g., cognitive development, family interactions, motivation, behavioral reinforcement) that are related to patterns of deterioration in T1D self-management and worsening glycemic outcomes during the adolescent years, mental health professionals are well-suited to help young people with T1D improve self-management behaviors as well as physical and psychological health outcomes.
