Living Beyond Diabetes: Exploring Diabetes Distress, Health Anxiety, Quality of Life and Social Support in Patients Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic physiological condition that has the potential to reduce the quality of life of an individual by affecting their mental and physical health. The current study investigated the relationship between quality of life and diabetes-associated distress in individuals with T2DM, with health anxiety serving as a mediating variable and social support as a moderating variable. The data from 409 individuals was analyzed using the Pearson correlation, mediation, and moderation analyses. Diabetes distress demonstrated a strong positive correlation with health anxiety (r =.739, p <.001) and a substantial negative correlation with social support (r = −.541, p <.001) and quality of life (r = −.619). Quality of life and health anxiety exhibited a substantial inverse correlation (r = -.455, p <.001). Quality of life and social support exhibit a strong positive correlation (r =.615, p <.001). A mediation analysis demonstrated that health-associated anxiety is significantly predicted by diabetes-related distress. The impact of diabetic distress on quality of life through health anxiety was relatively negligible (B =.004, 95% CI [−.067,.071]). Conversely, social support was a substantial mediator in the relationship between quality of life and diabetic discomfort (B =.005, p =.029). As a result, the correlation between diabetes-related distress and quality of life was markedly more robust at lower levels of social support (B =.426) than at higher levels (B =.362). In conclusion, the evidence suggests that a reduced quality of life is substantially correlated with diabetes-related distress in individuals with T2DM. However, the negative effects of diabetes-related distress on overall well-being may be alleviated by social support. The evidence emphasises the importance of addressing diabetes-related distress and improving social support as essential components of comprehensive psychosocial therapy for individuals with T2DM.