Clinical Practice Guidelines Issued for Diabetes Distress

THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The first clinical practice guidelines on assessment and management of diabetes distress among adults were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, held from Sept. 15 to 19 in Vienna.

Jane Speight, Ph.D., from the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes in Melbourne, and colleagues developed guidelines to standardize the assessment and management of diabetes distress among adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The authors noted that asking about and assessing diabetes distress should form a routine part of effective, person-centered care. Conditional recommendations support psychological and psychoeducational interventions for the management of diabetes distress. Specific recommendations vary according to diabetes type and intervention category. In terms of management for adults with type 1 diabetes, psychological interventions are suggested in addition to usual care, and use of continuous glucose monitoring rather than capillary glucose monitoring is suggested to reduce distress. To reduce diabetes distress in adults with type 2 diabetes, psychological interventions are suggested in addition to usual care; psychological or psychoeducational interventions are suggested; and educational interventions are suggested rather than peer-support interventions. The guideline does not address diabetes distress among children or adolescents with diabetes or among adults with gestational diabetes or rarer types of diabetes.

“We hope that this guideline will empower health care professionals to routinely assess and address the emotional burden of living with diabetes, ultimately improving outcomes for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes across Europe and beyond,” Speight said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.

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