Emotional aspects in a chronic disease: a study of 101 insulin treated diabetics

Emotional considerations are crucial to the management of diabetes. These include the impact of diabetes on the patients' everyday life, and the impact of day-to-day stress. The role which the patient adopts - "healthy" or "sick" - is only partially related to the actual medical status. In this study we have focused on some of the long-standing emotional reactions related to diabetes, e. g. somatopsychological reactions. These reactions are common and some, such as reduced bodily self-esteem, sexual dysfunction and use of the disease as an alibi, are more common in men. The diabetics feel that some of these reactions are more common in themselves than in their partners. The symptoms correlate with acceptance of the disease. The risk of sexual dysfunction appears to be lower in the well-adjusted patient despite the possible presence of organic complications. In the management of diabetes these somatopsychological reactions must be treated in order to achieve the best possible medical status and an acceptable way of life for the individual and his/her family.