糖尿病患者とその家族における心理的負担感の特徴

抄録

In diabetes care, patients with diabetes are required to perform a range of self-care behaviors on their own in order to maintain glycemic control. Consequently, they are likely to have emotional burden. Similarly, family caregivers also experience higher levels of psychological stress as they are compelled to help such patients perform self-care behaviors. Psychological stress specific to patients with diabetes or their family caregivers has been widely investigated as “diabetes distress/diabetes-related emotional distress.” Diabetes distress is clearly distinct from general emotional symptoms, including depression and anxiety. As diabetes distress in patients with diabetes and their family caregivers causes various problems such as poor glycemic control, it is necessary to assess it accurately and provide adequate treatment in diabetes care. This article discusses the features of diabetes distress in patients with diabetes and their family caregivers and the instruments for measuring diabetes distress. In addition, we identify the key differences between the distress characteristics in adolescent and adult patients with diabetes.