Type 1 Diabetes and COVID-19: The level of anxiety, stress and the general mental health in comparison to healthy control

Abstract

Aim. Assessment of mental state of patients with T1DM - the level of anxiety, stress and general mental health in the stressful conditions of an epidemic. Moreover, it was checked whether the stress response to the epidemic in the T1DM group differed from that in the control group. This is the first study to address these questions in the type 1 diabetes population in Poland. Method. An e-mail was sent to all T1DM patients under the care of a diabetes clinic with information about the possibility of online consultation with a psychologist / psychiatrist, with a set of psychological tests attached. The study included 49 patients with T1DM who responded within the first month and agreed to participate in the study. 38 people from the control group were randomly recruited. Each person completed a set of psychological tools. Results. In both groups, the level of stress was higher than typical for the general population in the situation without stressor. T1DM patients who have been ill for over 10 years more often cope with stress through a task-oriented approach. Patients who have been ill for less than 10 years use avoidance strategies. In the first phase of the epidemic, women with T1DM used avoidance strategies. Patients with diabetes and mental disorders react more anxiously and thus require special care in coping with diabetes. Conclusions. In a situation of stress such as a epidemic, patients suffering from T1DM require optimization of treatment and cooperation of specialists in the field of diabetes and psychology / psychiatry.