WHO-5, a tool focusing on psychological needs in patients with diabetes: the French contribution to the DAWN study

In 2001, the international Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN) programme was launched to evaluate the psychosocial impact of diabetes. In France, DAWN experts carried out an observational study to further understand the impact of diabetes on the psychological well-being of people with diabetes, using the French version of the WHO-5 questionnaire.

The WHO-5, a unidimensional five-item questionnaire that measures positive psychological well-being, was completed by 2213 patients (1670 with diabetes). A total sum score was calculated, ranging on a scale from 0 to 25. A score less than 13 indicated impaired well-being and a score less than 8 reflected likely depression.

The mean total well-being score for the whole study population was 14.1±5.5, and 14.3±5.5 for patients with diabetes and 13.5±5.4 for patients with other chronic diseases. The average score for patients with diabetes only (15.1±5.2) was higher than those for the other subgroups (P=0.005), whereas the average scores for those using insulin (14.8±5.2) and women with diabetes (13.2±5.6) were significantly lower compared with the whole diabetic group (15.6±5.1 [P=0.03] and 15±5.2 [P<0.001], respectively).

The WHO-5 questionnaire showed satisfactory psychometric properties in a large sample of French diabetic patients. The scale is unidimensional and highlighted differences in well-being, which was lower in diabetic women, in patients with other chronic diseases and in those treated with insulin.