Diabetes and Mental Health: A Review

Abstract

Diabetes is a staggering health concern globally. Its management prioritizes hyperglycemia and complications, and associated
mental health (MH) issues remain unidentified and unaddressed. People with diabetes mellitus (DM) experience emotional
challenges due to the necessary lifestyle changes and the diagnosis itself. They may go through various stages similar to
experiencing grief, denial for diabetes diagnosis, anger as to why they have suffered this diagnosis despite a healthy lifestyle,
bargaining that they can manage it by themselves, depression since it is an ongoing everyday struggle and finally acceptance,
i.e., learning to live with diabetes with days where it is well managed and days where it flares out of control. There seems to
be a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and MH. People with diabetes have an increased risk of psychological and
psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression, etc., and vice versa. Thus, addressing MH is important for effective diabetes
management.