People with diabetes say being heard matters as much as clinical care

Interviews with adults in Victoria highlight the emotional value of trusted relationships, practical coping skills and respectful clinicians, while cost and limited access continue to obstruct support.

An Australian study published in Diabetic Medicine suggests that people living with diabetes draw emotional strength from close relationships, everyday coping skills and clinicians who take their concerns seriously. It also finds that many want support that is respectful, affordable and easier to reach, underscoring how diabetes care extends well beyond blood sugar management.

Researchers at Deakin University and the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes interviewed 32 adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Victoria as part of a wider project on diabetes and mental health. Their qualitative approach focused on how participants understood emotional wellbeing in their own words, rather than measuring how common particular feelings were across the population.

The people interviewed described family, friends and peers as important sources of comfort, especially when those around them understood the daily demands of diabetes without needing constant explanation. Participants also pointed to personal strengths such as resilience, self-acceptance and practical problem-solving, although the researchers stressed that these are resources for coping rather than proof that a positive outlook can erase the burden of the condition.

Health professionals were seen as most helpful when they listened carefully, treated patients with respect and recognised the emotional side of diabetes as well as the medical one. That need for broader support echoes the work of the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, which says it focuses on the behavioural, psychological and social aspects of the disease. The centre, a partnership between Deakin University and Diabetes Victoria, has long argued that diabetes care should address emotional wellbeing alongside clinical targets.

Access remained a recurring concern. Participants said the cost of care, long waiting lists and the shortage of professionals who understand diabetes can all stand in the way of support. The study also highlighted stigma in healthcare, workplaces and the wider community, suggesting that emotional wellbeing should not be framed as an individual test of toughness. That point is consistent with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says support from family and friends can make diabetes easier to manage, while Deakin has separately reported that many people with diabetes experience moderate to severe depressive symptoms. The authors say the findings support better routine attention to emotional wellbeing, stronger professional training, peer support and help that begins early, including around diagnosis.