The role of willpower beliefs in diabetes distress and general emotional well-being in adults with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Aims: To examine the role implicit theories of willpower play in the experience of diabetes distress and general emotional well-being using a cross sectional study design. Methods: Australian adults with type 2 diabetes (N = 270; 56% women; age: 61 ± 12 years), recruited via a national diabetes registry, completed an online survey assessing: willpower beliefs, general emotional well-being, diabetes distress, personality, general self-efficacy and diabetes self-efficacy. Analyses included bivariate correlations and linear regression, adjusted for demographic, clinical and psychological variables. Results: Unadjusted analyses showed willpower beliefs have moderate correlations with general emotional well-being, emotionality and general self-efficacy; and weak correlations with diabetes distress, diabetes self-efficacy, extraversion, conscientiousness and age. Adjusted analyses showed willpower beliefs are a significant predictor of general emotional well-being, but not diabetes distress, independent of self-efficacy and diabetes distress, and potentially mediated by personality and diabetes self-efficacy. Conclusions: Willpower beliefs predict general emotional well-being, but not diabetes distress. Further research is needed to confirm these pathways.