The diagnosis of diabetes is a life altering event that requires an interdisciplinary approach to care.
Fluctuations in blood glucose levels are linked to mental health symptoms such as diabetes management burnout, distress, depression, anxiety, fear of hypoglycemia, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, appetite, changes and eating-disordered behavior. Further, quality of life is complicated by social stigmas and family conflict related to disease management and lifestyle changes. Psychological and behavioral health support is critical to patient engagement in diabetes care and the promotion of the overall health and well-being of our patients. As such, the Diabetes Behavioral Medicine and Psychology, or DBMP, Service, led by clinical and health psychologist Sarah Westen, Ph.D., was developed in collaboration with the department of clinical and health psychology at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.
Objectives of the DBMP Service include:
- Evaluating children and families living with diabetes for psychological or behavioral factors impacting disease management and overall quality of life.
- Treating children and families living with diabetes who struggle with psychological or behavioral concerns using evidence-based and diabetes-specific psychotherapeutic approaches.
- Training aspiring clinical psychologists (doctoral-level graduate students) in diabetes psychology, with an emphasis on the treatment of medically underserved populations, to increase the number of psychologists with diabetes-specific training and knowledge on social determinants of health.
We are fortunate for the McJunkin Family Foundation, whose support in 2023 was critical to ensuring that current and new patients living with diabetes received needed care. Foundation support led to over 550 patient evaluations, therapy visits and interdisciplinary psychology consultations, and over 600 hours of diabetes training for psychology providers. Our goal in 2024 is to continue to normalize psychology as part of the standard of care for all individuals living with diabetes.
