This randomised controlled trial evaluates a cognitive-behavioural intervention for diabetes patients with suboptimal glycaemic control and comorbid depressive symptoms and/or diabetes distress. The main outcome is the improvement of suboptimal glycaemic control (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes are effects on depressive symptoms, diabetes distress, self-care behaviour, diabetes acceptance and quality of life. The treatment group will be treated with a cognitive-behavioural group treatment comprising specific interventions to improve glycaemic control and reduce diabetes distress as well as depressive symptoms. The control group will receive treatment-as-usual. A total of 212 study participants will be included. A secondary study objective is to analyse associations of suboptimal glycaemic control, depressive symptoms and diabetes distress with inflammatory markers.
Suboptimal glycaemic control is an established risk factor for the development of serious long-term complications of diabetes. Moreover, it is associated with elevated risks of significant hyperglycaemic acute events such as hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state or diabetic ketoacidosis. Hence, patients with diabetes and persistent suboptimal glycaemic control are at higher risk of having a rather poor prognosis. Besides physiological and medical factors, psychological problems have been found to predict suboptimal glycaemic control. A number of studies found depressive symptoms to be independently associated with hyperglycaemia. Others focussed on diabetes-specific affective problems - the so called diabetes distress - and suggested this factor to be of great importance. Finally, some studies found that depressive symptoms and diabetes distress may interact, with the coocurrence of these factors being associated with the highest risk or suboptimal glycaemic control. The results correspond to other findings suggesting that both depressive symptoms and diabetes distress are often associated with reduced diabetes self-care, which can explain the associations of those factors with hyperglycaemia. On the other hand, suboptimal glycaemic control could also be an explanation for affective problems - either mediated by physiological mechanisms or psychological ones, e.g. dissatisfaction or guilt. Hence, it is valid to assume that the link between depressive symptoms and/or diabetes distress may be bidirectional - although evidence to support this assumption is missing. Following this evidence and background, the investigators designed the a to analyse the relationships between suboptimal glycaemic control, depressive symptoms and diabetes distress in diabetes using a prospective study design. The study is a randomized trial in which a cognitive-behavioural group treatment is compared to a treatment-as-usual condition (standard diabetes education) regarding their efficacy in improving suboptimal glycaemic control. 212 diabetes patients with suboptimal glycaemic control (HbA1c value \> 7.5%) and elevated depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressions Scale score ≥ 16) and/or elevated diabetes distress (Problem Areas In Diabetes Scale score ≥ 40) will be randomly assigned to either the treatment group or treatment-as-usual. The primary outcome is the improvement of suboptimal glycaemic control (reduction of HbA1c) in the 12-month follow-up. As secondary outcomes positive baseline-to-follow up changes regarding depressive symptoms, diabetes distress, diabetes self-care behaviour, diabetes acceptance and quality of life are assessed. A second study objective is to analyse cross-sectional and prospective associations of suboptimal glycaemic control, depressive symptoms and diabetes distress with serum levels of the following inflammatory markers: hsCRP, IL-6, IL-18, IL-1Ra, MCP-1 and Adiponectin. Potential effects of the treatment groups on these markers will also be examined.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
213
Analysis of diabetes-related affective problems with regard to suboptimal glycaemic control
Discussing and setting goals regarding improvements of suboptimal glycaemic control, depressive symptoms and diabetes distress
Diabetes-specific problem-solving therapy with main focus on suboptimal glycaemic control, depressive symptoms and diabetes distress
Interventions to increase diabetes treatment motivation in order to achieve improvements of glycaemic control as well as recovery from affective problems
Activation of personal and social resources with a view to diabetes control and affective problems
Definition and reduction of barriers to adequate diabetes self-care behaviour as well as good glycaemic control
Cognitive restructuring of diabetes-related problems such as suboptimal glycaemic control and diabetes-related affective problems
Goal definition and agreement regarding diabetes self-care behaviour, optimal glycaemic control and activities supporting well-being and recovery from affective symptoms
Education on health care and specific topics (e. g. blood pressure)
Education on healthy and unhealthy foods, cooking and recipes
Education on sports, activities and exercise
Education on foot care: exercises, care and control, injuries, and diabetic neuropathy
Education on diabetes complications
Education on social aspects of living with diabetes
Diabetes Center Mergentheim
Bad Mergentheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Forschungsinstitut der Diabetes Akademie Mergentheim e. V.
Bad Mergentheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Improvement of glycaemic control as measured by the HbA1c
Mean difference between HbA1c values at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of glycaemic control as measured by participants' blood glucose meter or glucose monitoring devices (data are extracted from tools using the diasend application)
Mean difference between average glucose test scores during an 8-week period before baseline and those during an 8-week period before 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of depressive symptoms as measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Mean difference between CES-D scores at baseline and at 12 month follow up
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of depressive symptoms as measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire Module for Depression (PHQ-9)
Mean difference between PHQ-9 scores at baseline and at 12 month follow up
Time frame: 12 months
IImprovement of diabetes distress as measured with the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale (PAID)
Mean difference between PAID scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
IImprovement of diabetes distress as measured with the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS)
Mean difference between DDS scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of self-care behaviour as measured with the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Measure (SDSCA)
Mean difference between SDSCA scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of self-care behaviour as measured with the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ)
Mean difference between DSMQ scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of diabetes acceptance as measured with the Diabetes Acceptance Scale (DAS)
Mean difference between DAS scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of quality of life as measured with the EuroQol Five-Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D)
Mean difference between EQ-5D scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
Improvement of quality of life as measured with the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)
Mean difference between SF-36 scores at baseline and at 12 month follow
Time frame: 12 months
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