Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Integrating Tai Chi with Mindfulness Training to Achieve an Effective Mind-Body Exercise
Published on: July 14, 2023
Conquering diabetes by overcoming psychological barriers and embracing health
Fanni Őry1, Botond László Kiss2,3, András Norbert Zsidó2,3,4
1Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, 6 Ifjúság Street, Pécs, 7624, Hungary. ory.fanni@pte.hu.
Abstract:
Living with chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus (DM) or insulin resistance (IR) requires significant self-management, adding to daily life stressors. This stress, known as diabetes distress, along with health empowerment from proper diet and lifestyle, and motivation to eat healthily, greatly impacts quality of life and disease outcomes. Different patient subgroups (type 1 diabetic (T1DM), type 2 diabetic (T2DM), and insulin resistant (IR) individuals) face these challenges differently. This research aims to compare people with IR and DM to those without, and to compare IR, T1DM and T2DM subgroups on psychological factors. Data was collected via an online questionnaire from 746 participants (average age 37.5 years). Among them, 405 had IR (N = 177) or DM (Type 1: N = 116; Type 2: N = 112), and 341 were controls. Results showed that T2DM individuals scored lower than controls on Identified Regulation, Interoceptive Awareness, and Search for Meaning in Life, while the IR group had higher body-mind disconnection. T1DM individuals experienced the highest emotional distress due to the disease but the lowest distress from regular check-ups compared to T2DM and IR groups. The gradient boosting classification model indicated that IR and T1DM groups are homogeneous, whereas T2DM is heterogeneous, with significant within-group variation in disease experience and management. Despite similarities in daily life challenges, significant differences exist in disease experience among the groups. Individual characteristics of T2DM individuals further diversify their attitudes towards disease management.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...

